Falling For A Rose
by SugarLoaf12
Summary: When a mysterious boy gets accepted into Beacon, he meets friends he didn't know he needed. Falling in love wasn't in his future, but maybe the future isn't always what it seems.
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! This story I thought up while writing my previous one. The character is one I created on my own with inspiration through various different sources. This is just a taste of what the story will be, I hope you all like it, I will also be writing another story that's going to be moderately shorter than this one using the same character with a different background. Thanks for reading!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Prologue**

A tall dark figure slowly trudged down the path through the forest toward town. The figure wore a long black leather trench coat with thin black armor plating on the shoulders and chest. Paired with combat boots and black gloves covering his hands. A hood covered his face with a small mask under it stopping just below his sunglasses. A long thin sheathe holding a katana hung from his belt swaying slightly as he walked. His gloves had a small amount of armor covering them leading up around his elbow.

Stopping abruptly, his right hand shot up deflecting a bullet with his armor. Several men came from behind the trees with weapons in hand.

"You lost, friend? Everybody knows you don't take this road unless you want to pay the toll" warned the man who appeared to be in charge. The hooded man lowered his glasses to show his piercing emerald eyes.

"This is everyone you have?" he asked.

"This is it, friend. Unless of course you count our camp back that way" he answered pointing behind him.

"That way?" he asked pointing in the same direction. The group exchanged a look of confusion.

"Yes, that way" the leader answered taking a step forward with his hand outstretched "Now it's time you paid that toll, we wouldn't want anything to happen to you. Now would we?" he asked in mock concern.

"This will be over quickly" he assured.

The leader pulled a gun on him as the rest of the group prepared to attack "You're gonna want to think twice about fighting all of us-"

"I agree, so why don't you head back to camp before you hurt yourselves" he warned.

"Okay... get him" he ordered. The group charged him.

Stepping forward he pushed his glasses back over his eyes as the first raised his leg to kick, he kicked his leg back with his right foot then ducked under his fist while using his left leg to sweep the thug's leg out from under him, using his fist he slammed him into the ground. Ducking back into a handspring under the next thug's blade, he used his legs to disarm him, returning to his feet in a crouched position he punched the thug's knee staggering him. Twisting back up to a standing position he jumped into the air as the thug attempted to punch him, using his right hand he deflected the punch and kicked him in the chest sending the thug several feet backwards.

Bullets rang around him as he landed on his feet. Placing his arms up in front of his face he blocked the bullets with his armor. Rushing the thug in the back he stepped onto her knee and kick flipped backwards, knocking her down. Landing in front of three others he swept his leg around with a powerful kick throwing them onto their backs. Standing up he shifted his head to the right avoiding a punch from the oncoming thug. Smashing his fist into the back of her head a crack rang out as she collapsed. Being approached from behind he held his right hand up blocking the blade, thrusting his elbow into his gut he then twisted upper-cutting him, throwing the thug onto his back.

Grabbing the leader's gun he pointed it away at the last second when it fired. Slamming his foot down onto his then kneeing him in the face, he sent him flying onto his back. Twisting around he kicked the three thugs behind him in the head, dropping them to the ground. Catching a punch in his hand he flipped the thug onto his back, a bullet rang out. Shifting his head to the left just barely enough to avoid it he glared at the leader struggling to reload his weapon.

Using both his fists he punched the two thugs behind him in the face without turning around then dashed forward, the leader flipped his gun over and swung it for his face. Bending forward and placing his hand onto the ground he pushed off flipping over him. Landing behind him he slammed his fist into his back throwing him into one of his men.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked struggling to get to his knees looking around his men lay unconscious.

"Not a name you'll ever use" he answered turning away.

"It doesn't matter, when our boss finds out what you did, you're a dead man" he threatened.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that" came a voice behind them "Your boss seems to be in a bit of a bind, of the incarceration kind" he continued as they both locked eyes onto the man. He was a tall pale man with silver hair and brown eyes, he wore a black suit with a green scarf and black glasses sitting below his eyes.

"That's impossible-" he began before being knocked out by the mans cane to the back of his head.

"Nothing is impossible, you should've known that after nine of you couldn't take down one man fighting unarmed"

"Who are you?" asked the hooded man.

"My name is Professor Ozpin. I watched your altercation with these fine men with great interest"

"Were you telling the truth when you said you took down their camp?"

"Indeed, in fact, Ms. Goodwitch should join us shortly" he answered as the woman in question came out from behind the trees.

"Who is this, Professor?"" she asked curiously.

"I don't believe I caught your name" Ozpin pointed out.

"I prefer it that way" he replied turning his back on them.

"May I at least ask where you learned to fight like that?"

"If you can't fight out here, you die. I learned from experience" he answered as he continued walking.

"Well you obviously learn quickly Mr. Stroud"

The man stopped midstep at his words. Turning back around he lowered his glasses slightly "I don't believe I told you my name"

"Indeed. I was already aware of your identity before I came here for you"

"What interest do you have in me? I've kept myself off the radar for the past four years"

"Quite a feat considering your age"

"Where're you getting this information?" he asked in surprise.

"Slade Stroud, sixteen years old, emerald eyes and raven hair, claw mark scar across your abdomen and orphaned as of just under five years ago"

"You have a file on me"

"I knew your parents" he answered.

Slade's eyes bulged in shock "How? We lived outside the system for years-"

"Outside the system doesn't mean you're hidden from everyone. I was sorry to hear about their passing, Grimm attack correct?"

"What is it you want with me?" he asked again.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy of Vale" he answered, turning his attention to the woman as he continued "You're Glynda Goodwitch, teacher at Beacon Academy and assistant to Ozpin"

"Impressive"

"The boy is certainly well informed"

"I listen. Something the people of Remnant seem to have forgotten how to do"

"Indeed, people could learn a lot from your example. I would like to extend you an offer"

"What kind of offer?"

"Come to my school, you'll have access to the finest teachers and training in the world-"

"Not interested" Slade interrupted turning away, he came face to face with Ozpin once more.

"I'm afraid I must insist you hear me out" Slade's hand gripped the hilt of his blade in surprise. Looking between where he was before and his current position he asked.

"How did you..." he let the question hang in the air.

"You've learned a lot in your short time surviving on your own. I'm here to tell you... you don't know everything"

Slade released his hold on his weapon, relaxing once more "I'm listening"

"Attend my school and I will personally see to your training myself"

"You'll teach me yourself? Like my mentor or something?"

Ozpin nodded "You'll still have to attend classes like everyone else, but you'll have sessions of training one on one with me. I assure you, I don't extend this offer lightly" he explained.

Slade stared at him from behind his glasses looking him over for any sign of deceit. Spotting nothing he sighed, removing his hood and mask to reveal his face.

"I'll attend. But if I even suspect that you've lied to me, I'm gone" he warned removing his glasses to look him in the eye.

"Understood" Slade nodded turning towards town "I'll see you when school starts I suppose" he called back as he walked away.

"You have one week. An airship will be waiting to take you and the other students to Beacon" he called after him as he left.

"Professor?" Glynda asked approaching him from behind "You never teach anyone personally. What's special about this child?"

"His father wasn't the best man in the world, he was largely criminal. His mother on the other hand was the kindest woman I have ever met... I was asked by his father to look after him should anything happen to them. I thought he died along with them until recently"

"How'd you know that it was him?"

"His blade. It's the same one his father had made a few years back for his son... I needed to know if it was really him"

"And now that you do?"

"The boy needs stability, he's been moving around since he was a child keeping his father under the radar. Apparently that didn't stop after their passing during the Grimm attack that took their lives"

"You never answered my question, Professor" she pointed out tapping her foot impatiently.

"We all have to stop running eventually Glynda" he answered cryptically.

Glynda sighed annoyed "Guess I shouldn't expect a straight answer from you" she shook her head.

"Mr. Stroud will be under my care for now. You'll know when the time comes"


	2. Beacon Academy

**For any of you who're wondering, this story will not be directly following all of the RWBY story throughout, it will be changing subtly and then drastically. Anyway I hope you enjoy reading this chapter! Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter One: Beacon Academy**

Boarding the airship Slade stayed in the back away from the other students not wishing to get involved in conversation. Slade felt uncomfortable without his hood and mask on, not used to so many people having clear view of who he was. Placing his sunglasses on his face he relaxed slightly, feeling less exposed than previously.

"I can't believe my baby sister is coming to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" a tall blonde yelled as she bear hugged a smaller red haired girl.

"Please stop" she gasped out.

"But I'm so proud of you!" she insisted releasing her hold on her sister.

"Really sis, it was nothing" she tried to get her to keep her voice down.

"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is gonna think you're the bees knees" she insisted gesturing to the students around her.

 _What'd she do that's so special?_ Slade wondered.

"I don't want to be the bees knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees" she argued.

"What's with you? Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited, I just... I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or something"

 _I understand that feeling kid_ Slade inwardly groaned. _Still, moving ahead two years is impressive, she must be pretty skilled. Wouldn't mind testing her abilities later_

"But you are special" her sister assured wrapping her arm around her. Slade's attention was shifted to the news reporting about a recent break in committed by Roman Torchwick. The image shifted to a older blonde woman.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon" the image of Glynda said.

Slade tuned out the rest of it, taking his pistol out from it's holster underneath his coat. Inspecting it closely he noticed the safety was off, switching it on he replaced the carbon colored firearm into it's holster. Sighing he walked toward the exit of the ship, having had enough of the crowd. The airship landed shortly after, the doors opening for the students to exit.

Slade quickly exited walking away from the other students as fast as possible. Turning back to the ship after he was comfortable with his distance, he watched as a blonde kid ran out and began vomiting into a nearby trashcan.

"Guess not everyone enjoyed the trip" he sighed. Turning back to the school he took in the sight, scanning his eyes over the large building "I've never seen a building this big before, even back in Atlas" he mused to himself.

"What are you doing!?" yelled a voice from behind him, turning around he noticed the young girl from before laying under multiple silver cases. The irate looking girl in front of her he recognized from his time in Atlas.

"Sorry" she attempted to apologize.

"Sorry? Do you have any idea what kind of damage you could've caused?" she asked annoyed.

"Uh..." she picked up a case handing it to her.

"Give me that! This is Dust, mined and purified from the Schnee quarry" she explained opening the case to reveal several bottles of Dust.

"Schnee, of course" he whispered mostly to himself.

"What are you brain dead? Dust! Fire, Water, Lightning, energy!" she ranted flailing the bottle in her hand around causing powdered dust to cloud around her face.

"Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?"

The girl sneezed in response causing a minor explosion, throwing the bottle a few feet away.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" she screamed in anger.

"Sorry"

"You complete dolt! What're you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

Slade sighed in annoyance, he approached them as she continued to yell at her.

"Well... I-I-" she stuttered trying to explain.

"This isn't your standard combat school you know, it's not just sparring and practice. We're here to fight monsters so... watch where you're going!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure she's already apologized to you multiple times" Slade pointed out trying to help.

"Do you know her?" Weiss asked.

"I-"

"Because if you do, you need to teach her some manners!" Weiss demanded.

"Speak for yourself, at least she apologizes when she makes a mistake, Ice Queen"

"It's heiress actually, Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world" a girl with black hair, gold eyes and a black bow on her head announced approaching with one of her dust bottles.

"Finally some recognition" Weiss smirked glaring at Slade and Ruby.

"The same company infamous for it's controversial labor forces and questionable business partners" she finished.

"Wha... How dare... the nerve of..." Weiss stuttered out flustered. Slade smirked while the other girl snickered.

"Run along, Ice Queen. Some of us are actually here to learn and not pick fights with strangers"

Weiss scoffed taking the dust bottle from the girl in the bow and turned away from them holding her head high in indignation.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" she called as Weiss sauntered away. "Guess I'm not the only one having a bad first day... so what-" she stopped watching as the other girl already left. She slumped down onto her back "Welcome to Beacon"

Slade held out his hand to her as she turned to look at him. "C'mon, let's get you up" she accepted his hand.

"Thanks, I was worried for a minute there. I haven't even gotten to the entrance ceremony yet and my sister already ditched me and I exploded. I'm not making any friends at the rate I'm going" she laughed sheepishly.

Slade smirked "Well I'm pretty new around here, and don't really know anyone yet. Plus I did just help you out with the Ice Queen back there so... I suppose that makes me your friend doesn't it?"

Ruby's eyes bulged out of her head "Really? I just got you in trouble with that girl back there-"

"You didn't get me into trouble, I decided to step in. Acting like that over something so simple is unacceptable. You want to be friends or what?" he asked.

Ruby grinned at him before tackling Slade into a hug. Barely balancing himself with her added weight he went stiff in surprise by her action "Yes! I want to be your friend!" Ruby stopped after noticing what she was doing, releasing you she twiddled her fingers with a deep red blush on her face "Sorry, I got excited there"

Slade brushed himself off regaining his composure "I-It's alright, I just wasn't expecting it, I'm not used to people being so open with me"

"Why not?" she asked curiously.

"I'm used to traveling alone. We should head to the ceremony, we don't want to be late"

she nodded emphatically "Not the best first impression to make with the teachers" she agreed "I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose" she introduced.

"Slade Stroud, at your service" he held his arms out from his sides as he bowed, bending his right knee as he did. Ruby giggled.

"Nice to meet you"

"Pleasure is all mine, milady" he winked indicating he was joking. she blushed lightly giggling once more as they turned toward the building, they walked in silence.

"Sooooo" Ruby said trying to strike up a conversation.

"Is there something you'd like to talk about?" Slade asked with a knowing look.

"I was just noticing your weapon-"

"This old thing?" he asked removing his blade from it's sheathe "This is nothing, special. But it gets the job done"

Ruby looked like a child in a candy store "What is it? What'd you make it out of? Did you name it? What's it do?" she asked without taking a moment to breathe.

"It's a katana my father had made for me when I designed it a few years ago. I call it Obsidian on account of the material I used for the blade and it's not really anything special. Doesn't have any special abilities or anything, just a sword" he answered showing it to her.

"Oooooo" Ruby stared at it with stars in her eyes "Can I?" she asked cautiously.

"Don't cut yourself" he smirked handing it to her by the hilt. Ruby looked it over completely with her starry-eyed gaze.

"That's so cool" she gushed giving it back.

"Thank you, I also have this, in case I need to fight from long range" he removed his pistol from beneath his coat once more.

"Well... I have this thing" she said opening Crescent Rose.

"Whoa... Is that a scythe?" he asked with a smirk as he holstered his pistol.

"It's also a customizable, high impact, sniper rifle"

"It's a what?" he asked surprised.

"It's also a gun"

"Huh? Oh, I know what a sniper rifle is" he chuckled "Guess I just wasn't expecting your weapon to be so big" he admitted.

"Emasculated yet?"

"You're gonna have to do a lot more than that to accomplish that" he laughed.

* * *

"Ruby, over here! called her sister from her right "I saved you a spot!"

"Ooo, I gotta go. I'll see you after the ceremony!" she called running off towards her.

"Catch you later then" he called back hiding his disappointment. Turning he felt something bump into his side with an "oof" Looking down he found a blonde boy with a mixture of armor and clothing on the floor.

"You alright?" he asked extending his hand toward him. Accepting it he stood back up with a grunt.

"I'm okay, sorry for bumping into you"

"We both weren't paying attention I suppose" Slade offered trying to lighten the mood. "I'm Slade" he offered his hand once more.

"Jaune, Jaune Arc" he answered shaking his hand "Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it" he answered.

"Do they?" he asked with a knowing look.

"They will" he defended "At least I hope they will"

"Girls should be the least of your concerns, you're gonna be training to fight monsters after all"

"I suppose your right"

"Didn't you throw up on the way here?"

"Motion sickness is a more common problem than people let on!" he protested. Slade raised his hands in surrender.

"I get it, touchy subject"

Ruby joined her sister in the crowd of students "How's your first day going little sister?" Yang asked.

"You mean since you ditched me an I exploded?" Ruby asked irritably.

"Yikes, meltdown already?"

"No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! There was some fire, and I think some ice" she explained thoughtfully.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Yang asked smiling at her.

"I wish, I fell onto some crabby girls luggage and she started yelling at me and then I sneezed and then I EXPLODED and she started yelling again and I felt really, really bad and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me-" she explained as Weiss listened from behind her.

"You!" Weiss yelled.

Ruby jumped into Yang's arms "Oh god! It's happening again!"

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!"

"Oh my god you really exploded"

"It was an accident! It was an accident!" Ruby insisted.

Slade noticed Weiss arguing with Ruby yet again.

"Oh no. Looks like the Ice Queen strikes again" he chuckled as the microphone rang through the crowd as Ozpin prepared to speak.

Ozpin cleared his throat through the microphone "I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But when I look amongst you, all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will teach you that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step" he finished walking offstage as Glynda replaced him.

"You will gather in the "barn" tonight. Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You're dismissed"

"Something seemed off about him" Slade noted aloud.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked curiously.

"Mr. Stroud" Glynda's voice came from behind him, interrupting his answer.

"Yes?"

"Professor Ozpin would like to speak with you in his office" she answered "Follow me" she instructed turning away from them and leading him away.

"Looks like I have to go, catch you later" he waved to Jaune.

"Later then" he called after him slightly disappointed.

* * *

Slade waited patiently in front of his desk for him to show up "He calls me up here then forces me to wait " he sighed.

"He'll just be another moment" Glynda assured.

"Was everything alright with the Professor? He seemed distant at the ceremony" Slade asked turning toward her.

"I assure you I am quite alright" Ozpin answered from his chair behind him. Slade jumped slightly partly unsheathing his weapon.

"Stop doing that" he sighed relaxing.

"Apologies, I didn't intend to startle you"

"You wanted to speak with me?"

"Indeed, I wish to make you aware of some unique circumstances for your initiation tomorrow"

"Shouldn't this have just been part of the ceremony then?"

"Were it pertaining to the rest of the students, then yes it would. However this is not"

"Out with it then" he replied impatiently.

"During the test tomorrow you will not need to find a partner or obtain one of the pieces you will be after tomorrow to pass the test"

"Elaborate"

"I've seen your abilities first hand. I know you are more than capable of handling the test on your own with ease. I wish to test your ability to work with others to accomplish a common goal. To this end I will be allowing you to pair up with another pair and help them with their test. Once the test is over, the pieces shall determine your team members for your time here"

"What team shall I be placed on then? Wouldn't I not have anyone to pair with afterward?"

"Correct, that is why I will be allowing you to choose any team to join. I will then ask the assigned leader of that team if they would like to allow you to be on their team. This will include your academic scores and where you will be bunking. This will however disqualify you from the Vytal festival tournament. You will however be allowed to participate in the singles rounds at the end of the tournament" he explained.

"I believe I can live with that. I must ask though, why are you doing this all for me? What makes me so special?"

"Your father and I worked closely together for a time when you were very young. He was a spy for me among many criminal organizations he helped my fellow huntsman and huntresses bring down. Knowing this to be a risky career for him and his family, he asked that should something happen to him and his wife, to ensure that you were taken care of"

"Taken care of? You mean like-"

"Adoption?" Ozpin finished handing him a sheet of paper. Slade looked over it with great interest.

"Don't think this means I'm gonna start calling you pops" he replied in a joking manner. Ozpin chuckled lightly.

"I don't expect this to be more than anything formal as you are already sixteen years old. Two years isn't a lot of time to form a paternal bond with someone so mature"

"How come you didn't come find me four years ago? Why wait until now?" he asked struggling to contain his anger.

"I believed you had been killed along with your parents. I didn't know about your survival until I heard rumors about that blade you carry"

"Obsidian? What about it?"

"Your father had it specially made for you after you asked him to help you make it. I had a hand in its original creation. There isn't another blade out there like it"

"That's why you approached me back on Patch. You wanted to know if I was really... well me"

"Exactly. Once I learned it was you, I had to make things right"

Slade looked thoughtfully at the paper for a while "Thank you, Professor-"

"Please, Ozpin is just fine"

"Ozpin. I appreciate what you're doing for me... I'm just not used to this kind of thing yet. My parents weren't exactly the kind of people to dot on me"

"I know, I expect they wanted to prepare you for the harshness of the world as soon as possible"

"They certainly did a fine job of that" Slade chuckled "I know I was pretty hesitant before... but I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. It's been a long time since anyone has taken an interest in me beyond solving their problems for them"

"I understand you made quite a name for yourself as a mercenary. The man in the mask without a name... If you ever need anything-"

"I know" Slade answered with a small smile. Ozpin returned the gesture with a smile of his own.

"You may leave now. Glynda, would you please escort him to the locker room so he may place his equipment accordingly"

"Of course, Professor" Glynda did a half bow as she turned to lead him to the elevator.

* * *

"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang laughed as she landed on the sleeping bag next to Ruby.

"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys though"

"I know I do" she purred looking at the shirtless boys around. Jaune walked into her view wearing footy pajamas causing her to make a sound of revulsion "What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going"

"Aw, that's so cuuuute" she cooed, getting smacked in the face by a pillow.

"Shut up. I didn't get to take any of my friends with me to school. It's weird not knowing anyone here"

"What about that cute boy you walked into the ceremony with?

"He's pretty nice. He saved me from Weiss when she was all angry and yelling at me earlier"

"See plus one friend! That's a 100% increase. Where is he though? I wanted to see him with his shirt off" Yang said with disappointment evident in her voice. Ruby blushed furiously at the thought hitting Yang with another pillow.

Slade entered the room in only a baggy pair of pants, his scar clearly in plain view, he noticed Yang and Ruby talking to the girl with the bow from before. Approaching them he caught the end of their conversation.

"I love books, Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters. They're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress" Ruby explained.

"Why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will. As a girl I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books, someone who fought for what was right and protected people who couldn't protect themselves"

Slade's thoughts went back to his mother and the attack the night she died. "If only there was more people in the world that thought like you did" Slade mused under his breath with a small warm smile.

"I'm so proud of my little sister!" Yang yelled with pride as she picked Ruby up.

"Yang! What're you doing?" she protested fighting back.

Slade chuckled at their antics.

"What is going on over here! Don't you know some of us are trying to sleep?" Weiss asked annoyed.

"Oh no, not you again!" Weiss and Yang yelled in unison.

"Shh. Guys, she's right, people are trying to sleep"

"Oh now you're on my side?"

"I was always on your side!"

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!"

"She's a hazard to my health!"

"The only health hazard around here is the amount of stress entering a conversation with you entails" Slade groaned rubbing his forehead in annoyance. Weiss stormed off back to her bedroll.

"Nice one" Yang laughed, punching him in the shoulder.

"I don't believe I caught your name"

"Yang Xiao Long, at your service!" she enthusiastically introduced.

"Slade Stroud" he shook her hand with a small smile. "And you are?" he asked turning to the girl with a bow in her hair.

"Blake Belladonna"

"Pleasure"

"Where'd you get that scar?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Beowolves, they aren't very nice" he explained.

"You can't even fight a Beowulf without getting that scar?" Yang asked mockingly.

"I got it around five years ago, against a whole pack. You do the math" he smirked back at her. Turning to Blake he noticed she was getting annoyed.

"We should let Blake get back to her book" Slade pulled them both along back to their bedrolls, much to their protest. Dropping onto his own across from Ruby he sighed in contentment as he closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Slade" Ruby called.

"Night, you two"


	3. Emerald Forest

**Here's Chapter Two! Hope you're all liking it so far, I apologize for the wait, I was out of state visiting family for Easter. I will most likely be updating this story once or twice a week if not more. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Emerald Forest**

"Wonder what those two are so worked up about" Ruby said aloud as Nora and Ren walked past her, as she opened her locker.

"Oh who knows. So, you seem awfully chipper this morning" Yang pointed out.

"Yup, no more awkward small talk or getting to know you stuff. Today I get to let my sweetheart do the talking" Ruby answered cradling Crescent Rose.

"Remember, Ruby; You're not the only one going through your initiation. If you want to grow up you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together"

"Ugh! You sound like Dad! Okay, first of all: what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly I don't need people to help me grow up. I drink milk" she announced proudly.

"Not sure that's what she meant, Ruby" Slade pointed out leaning against the back of her locker wearing his combat gear.

"Morning, Slade" she waved with a bright smile.

"What about when you join teams?" Yang asked.

"I don't know, I'll just be on your team or Slade's or something" she answered nervously.

"Maybe you should try being on somebody else's team" Yang sheepishly suggested running her hands through her hair.

"My dearest sister, Yang. Are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?" Ruby asked annoyed.

"What? No, of course not. I just thought... I don't know that it would help you break out of your shell"

"What! I don't need to break out of my shell that's absolutely-"

"Ridiculous!" Jaune finished talking to himself as he passed by.

"What he said!" Ruby pointed to Jaune.

"Don't worry about it, Ruby. Just get on my team and it'll be fine"

"You don't mind having me on your team?"

"Not at all" Slade answered turning away from them "See you in the forest girls" he called back as he walked toward the exit.

"You know it!" Yang called back after him, Ruby just blushed furiously attempting to hide it as she closed her locker. "What's been with you sis? You've been acting weird around Slade-" she cut herself off midsentence as she realized what was going on. Yang smiled mischievously.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Ruby asked nervously.

"You have a crush on him don't you" she asked.

"No! I don't have a crush on him, what could possibly make you think that!" she denied hiding her face flushing a deep red.

"I knew it! You have a crush-" she was interrupted by Ruby's hand over her mouth.

"Keep it down! You want everyone in school to know about it"

"So you admit it!"

"Yang" she groaned.

"This is soooo adorable! I can't believe I get to experience my baby sisters first crush"

"How do you know if it's my first crush?"

"Oh please, Ruby. I know all the guys you went to school with. They were much too scared of me and Uncle Qrow to try anything"

"Okay so maybe it is my first crush, don't go spreading it around!"

"You can trust me, I won't tell anybody. I swear" Yang assured.

Slade bumped into someone yet again knocking them onto the ground. Directing his eyes down he noticed a red haired girl with striking bright green eyes. Slade extended his hand out to her apologetically.

"Sorry about that, wasn't looking where I was going again"

"That's alright" she said accepting his offer "This happen to you often?"

"Not usually, no. I did bump into Jaune yesterday at the ceremony. Maybe I've just been distracted"

"Understandable, you're probably just nervous about the initiation like everyone else"

"Slade" he extended his hand toward her, she accepted replying.

"Pyrrha"

"Back off my teammate!" Weiss demanded stepping between them.

"Excuse me? I don't think that's quite how the teams work"

"Do you even know who you were talking to?"

"Not in the slightest"

"This is Pyrrha Nikos" she answered gesturing to her.

"Hello again" she greeted announcing she could still hear them.

"She graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum" Slade raised his eyebrow in response.

"She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row, a new record" she added. Slade's eyebrow rose even higher.

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" she yelled flailing her arms in frustration.

"Do you have a point?"

"Do you think you're really in a position to be asking her to be on your team?" she asked. Pyrrha's face dropped at her statement.

"I never asked her to be on my team to begin with and if you're waiting for me to be impressed by her "celebrity status" then you're going to be disappointed. Having exceptional skill doesn't place you above anybody else here in my book"

Pyrrha smiled lightly at his statement "Thank you, not many people think that"

"More people should start, not that your accomplishments are without merit, but they won't cut you any breaks for being a celebrity. And you shouldn't be acting like it's a big deal, we were just talking, not conspiring to join teams without you" Slade explained as he turned to leave.

Good luck, Pyrrha, Ice Queen" he called back as he left.

"To you as well" Pyrrha called after him.

"Can you believe him? He's such a dunce" Weiss huffed. Pyrrha giggled at her reaction.

* * *

"For years you have trained to become warriors" Ozpin began as all the students stood at the cliff with him and Glynda. Slade stood between Ruby and Yang "Today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest"

"Now I'm sure you've all heard rumors about teams, let us put your concerns to rest" Glynda explained "Each of you will be given team mates... today"

"These teammates will be with you throughout your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well" Ozpin added. Ruby groaned nervously "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years" he finished.

"What!" Ruby gasped nervously.

"After you have partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest, you will meet opposition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die. You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one then return to the top of the cliff we will regard that item as well as your standing and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin finished explaining.

"Yeah, uh, sir-" Jaune raised his hand.

"Good, now take your positions" he instructed.

"Doesn't sound that bad" Slade smirked placing his hood and mask on covering his face, he applied his sunglasses completing the look.

"Nice" Yang winked at him.

"Um sir, I have a question. This landing strategy, are you dropping us off?"

"Oh no, you will be falling"

"Did you hand out parachutes then when I wasn't looking?"

"No, you will be using your own landing strategy"

Yang looked at Slade and Ruby placing sunglasses on her face as she winked at them before being launched into the sky, being shortly followed by the two of them.

"Oh, what exactly is a landing strategyyyyyyeheheeee!" Jaune screamed as he was launched. Ozpin took a sip from his mug expectantly.

* * *

Soaring through the air Slade used his armored gauntlet to catch himself on a tree branch, flipping between several more to decrease his speed he kicked off the last tree to his right rolling into a crouching position.

Drawing his pistol he scanned the area for Grimm. Finding none he relaxed standing back up and placing the weapon back in its place. Slade began walking toward the temple looking to find a group to work with.

"YOU MONSTER!" came a familiar voice. Turning in the direction of the voice he continued to hear screaming and gunshots. Suddenly he dropped into a prone position narrowly avoiding the Ursa soaring over him smashing through several trees.

"What?! You want some too!?" Yang yelled angrily. Blake killed the beast with ease from behind. a silence overtook the field.

"I could've taken him" Yang said breaking the silence.

Slade picked himself off the ground, dusting himself off as he did "What the hell, Yang!" he yelled gesturing to the shattered trees around him.

"Slade? When'd you get there?" she asked confused.

"Oh, I was just out for a stroll when an Ursa was thrown at me!" he laughed.

Yang sheepishly scratched the back of her head with a nervous smile "Oh... sorry about that, I didn't know you were over there"

"What exactly did that thing do to piss you off?"

Yang remained silent looking down at a strand of her hair on the ground between them. Slade followed her gaze and fixed his eyes on the strand.

"You've got to be joking"

"Well... who are you partners with? I was the first person you saw right?" She asked changing the subject. Slade nodded "I'm partners with Blake sooooo... I guess you can just come with us then, if you want to-"

"Sounds good" he answered walking ahead of them.

"Where are you going?" Blake asked "The temple is that way" she pointed behind him. Slade stopped midstep twisting around on the back of his heel.

"I knew that, I was just making sure you knew that" he joked walking past them. Yang shrugged following behind him.

* * *

Arriving on a hill just above the temple, the group stopped at the edge of the hill, looking down at the ruin below them.

"Think this is it?" Yang asked. Blake continued walking without saying a word.

"This is it" Slade nodded to her. Then he slid down the hill toward the temple, being joined shortly by Blake and Yang. They looked around the temple finding chess pieces on pedestals while others were empty.

"Chess pieces?" Blake asked.

"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here" Yang observed.

"Well I guess we should pick one" Blake suggested.

"I imagine the teams are getting chosen by whoever chose our matching piece" Slade explained looking around. Yang picked up the gold knight piece.

"How about a cute little pony?"

"Sure" Blake agreed rolling her eyes slightly with a small smile.

"That wasn't too hard"

"It's not like this place was too difficult to find"

"Never, ever say something isn't hard" Slade groaned.

"Why not?" Yang asked confused.

"Because then it usually goes wrong"

Slade shook his head. Loud girlish screaming rang through their ears as he finished his statement.

"Some girl is in trouble. Blake did you hear that?" Yang asked looking to Blake, she pointed above them. Looking up they found Ruby plummeting toward them

"Heads uuuuuuup!" Jaune crashed into her sending them into a nearby tree.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?"

"I-"

An Ursa came crashing through the trees, falling over as it arrived. Nora rolled off it's back.

"Yeeeehaaaaaw! Awww. It's broken"

Nora climbed onto it's head looking down at it as Ren arrived out of breath "Ewwwwwwwww"

"Nora... please don't ever do that again"

Looking up he noticed Nora was gone inspecting the gold rook piece. She balanced it on her head singing and striking different poses.

"I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle"

"Nora!" he yelled breaking Nora from her trance. She giggled tilting her head back knocking the piece from her head.

"Coming, Ren" she called catching the piece behind her back.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?"

"I-"

Pyrrha came running out of the woods with a Death Stalker behind her "Jaune!" she called seeing him from the tree.

Jaune: "Pyrrha!"

Jaune could be heard from the tree he was currently hanging from. Ruby leaped down from the tree rolling into her landing.

"Ruby?"

"Yang!"

they happily attempted to hug each other as Nora stepped between them "Nora!"

"Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?"

Yang was shaking with anger as Nora was dancing next to her excitedly. Slade looked up into the sky as a shadow came over them. Yang's anger got the better of her.

"Augh! I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"

"Unlikely" Slade chuckled watching the Nevermore above them. Ruby patted her arm grabbing her attention as Ren made it over to the group.

"Um... Yang"

Yang hung her head in defeat.

"How could you leave me?" Weiss was dangling dangerously off the talon of a Nevermore as it passed above them.

"I said jump!" she defended.

"She's gonna fall" Blake concluded in a bored tone.

"She'll be fine"

"She's falling" Ren informed matching Blake's tone.

Jaune jumped from the tree he was stuck in catching her as she fell. They both clung to each other as they realized they were still falling. Jaune landed on his chest with Weiss landing onto his back.

"My hero" Weiss mused sarcastically.

"My back" Jaune groaned. Pyrrha dove onto the ground in front of the group.

"Yay, the gangs all here. Now we can all die together" Yang joked.

"Not if I can help it" Ruby smiled back at her as she charged the Death Stalker.

"Ruby, wait!" Yang called after her. Ruby was knocked back by it's claw onto her back. Struggling to get up she called back to Yang.

"Don't worry, totally fine!"

Slade rolled his eyes as he ran after Yang rushing to help Ruby. Turning back around she saw the Death Stalker behind her ready to attack. Firing Crescent Rose she ran away placing her weapon onto her back.

"Ruby!" Yang called as she ran.

Ruby became trapped when the Nevermore launched it's feathers down around her, cutting off Yang from her and impaling her cloak. The Death Stalker got dangerously close to her.

"Ruby get out of there!" Yang yelled.

"I'm trying!"

The Death Stalker's stinger came down at Ruby as Weiss sped past her trapping the stinger in a wall of ice.

"You are so childish"

"Weiss?" she asked looking up in surprise.

"And dimwitted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style" she continued. sighing she relented "I can be... difficult. But if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this together. If you stop showing off, I'll be... nicer"

"I'm not trying to show off, I just want you to know I can do this" she explained.

"You're fine" Weiss relented walking pas her.

"Normal knees" Ruby whispered to herself excitedly.

"Let's get you on your feet" Slade suggested slicing through the feather keeping her trapped and removing it from her cloak.

"Thanks" she blushed lightly as she accepted his hand to help her up. Yang grabbed her into a bear hug.

"I'm so glad your okay!"

"Not to break up to sisterly bonding, but we shouldn't stick around" Slade suggested gesturing to the Death Stalker trying to get free with one hand and the Nevermore circling overhead with the other.

"He's right, that things circling back. What do we do?" Jaune asked concerned.

"There's no point in dillydallying. Our objective is right in front of us" Weiss explained.

"She's right, we should just grab the pieces and get back to the cliff. There's no point in fighting these things"

"Run and live? That's an idea I can get behind" Jaune agreed as him and Ruby picked up their pieces.

"At the very least we can get to a better position to fight these things off" Slade agreed as the ran toward the Cliffside.

"You don't think we can outrun them?" Blake asked.

Slade's thoughts went back to his mother once more, shaking his head of these thoughts he answered.

"In my experience, running from the Grimm just delays the battle" he explained.

Arriving at old ruins below the Cliffside they got behind cover as the Nevermore hovered ahead of them.

"Well that's just great" Yang sighed annoyed. The Death Stalker smashed through the trees behind them.

"Look, the Nevermore has friends!" Slade joked as he moved from his cover.

"Nora, distract it!" Ren instructed, Nora fired her grenade launcher at the Nevermore causing it to turn away momentarily. With the Death Stalker quickly approaching Ren and Blake attacked it's head with the blades of their weapons staggering it momentarily. Weiss grabbed Nora and launched them away with her glyph.

"Heads up!" Slade yelled striking the Stalker's face several times with his blade before jumping back to avoid the stinger "That's some thick armor" he noted as he ran behind the rest of the group

"Go, go!" Pyrrha yelled turning and firing her rifle, covering Ren, Slade, and Blake as they made their way to the bridge.

The Nevermore came back around and flew down towards the bridge as everyone began running across it. Slade pushed Jaune and Nora out of it's path as the Nevermore crashed into the bridge destroying the center. Pyrrha, Ren and Blake fought with the Death Stalker while the others were trapped on the opposite end. Slade hung from the edge of the bridge next to Jaune.

"We need to get over there, they need our help"

"Let's do this!" Nora yelled excitedly.

"Yeah, but... I can't make that jump" Jaune sweat dropped. Nora grinned knocking him backwards her launcher changed into a hammer.

"Nora, wait!"

Slade warned from below her as she smashed her hammer down throwing Jaune over the gap then blasting her way over with her hammer laughing all the while throwing Slade onto the opposite edge of the bridge.

"This hasn't helped my situation" he sighed.

Nora smashed into the Stalker's head then blasted backwards to avoid the stinger, pushing Blake over the edge "Gotcha" Slade heaved out catching her by her leg.

"Thanks"

"That Nevermore is coming back" he warned. Blake thought for a moment "I've got an idea" she threw Gambol Shroud in pistol form embedding it into the side of the bridge pillar and letting got off his hand she swung towards the Nevermore slashing it multiple times as she ran across it's back.

"That's one way of doing things" Slade said with a small smirk as he pulled himself up. Watching the group attack the Death Stalker he noticed the stinger dangling slightly. Ren was thrown against a nearby wall "Ren!" Nora called worriedly.

"We need to hit the stinger" Jaune observed.

"On it" Slade answered as he sliced it off with his blade. Landing in front of it he flipped backwards through it's claw as it attempted to crush him in it's grip.

The stinger fell into the Stalker's head "Nora, nail it!" Jaune yelled.

"Head's up!" she yelled jumping onto Pyrrha's shield she blasted herself into the air laughing then accelerated her descent by firing her hammer's rounds.

"Good plan" Slade smirked.

Nora slammed down onto the stinger smashing it into it's own head, throwing the group over it's head she fired again throwing the Stalker down into the pit below them landing beside the group as Ren exhaustedly rejoined them.

"They look like they might need some help" Slade suggested watching the Nevermore circle around.

"Want to get over there?" Nora asked. Smirking under his mask he jumped up onto the side of her hammer. Nora grinned firing it as she spun him toward the direction of the Nevermore. Slade landed on it's tail slicing it with his blade as he ran up the back of it. Leaping off the head he Landed beside Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang they watched as the Nevermore circled back around toward them.

"It's a lot tougher than it looks" Blake said.

"Then let's hit it with everything we got" Yang instructed.

Slade removed his pistol from it's holster and aimed it at the Nevermore while Ruby and Yang fired their weapons at it. Blake and Weiss joined in shortly after. Smirking he unsheathed his blade and stabbed it into the barrel of his pistol. Flipping the safety switch to it's third setting the weapon became a small rifle, with the blade opening to become the barrel.

"I thought you said it didn't do anything special!" Ruby yelled as she continued to fire.

"The blade itself doesn't" he answered back truthfully "Come and get it!" he yelled at the Nevermore as it approached them.

The group fired everything they had at the beast causing no damage whatsoever as it crashed through the tower they stood upon. Ruby fired her scythe to launch herself up the debris as Yang did the same with her gauntlets. Blake swung under it completely with her weapon as Weiss used her glyphs to launch herself from each broken platform. Slade simply ran up the side of them as they continued falling into the pit below, narrowly making it to safety.

"None of this is working" Weiss growled. Ruby watched the Nevermore closely as it circled around the tower.

"I have a plan. Cover me!" she yelled launching herself away.

"Can do" Slade returned his weapons to their natural states. Yang jumped into it's mouth as it came toward her.

"I hope your hungry!" she yelled between shots. Slade stabbed his blade into its eye as he landed on its head. Firing his pistol into it's other eye, he noticed the cliff in front of him.

"Time to jump" he yelled to Yang as he leapt off it's head. Yang turned back to see the cliff, flipping out of it's mouth she landed on the bridge as it crashed into the Cliffside.

Weiss froze the Nevermore in place as it tried to escape. Yang and Blake created a slingshot with Blake's weapon. Ruby jumped onto it as Weiss used her glyph to aim for the Nevermore's head.

"Of course you would come up with this plan"

"Think you can make the shot?"

"Can I?" she scoffed. Ruby looked mildly concerned for a moment.

"Can you-"

"Of course I can!"

Ruby launched into the Nevermore trapping it's head between her scythe and the cliff. Weiss placed glyphs up the cliff in front of her launching her forward. Ruby fired repeatedly as she ran up the cliff finishing by decapitating the Nevermore as she landed on the cliff. It's body plummeted down toward them.

"Guess this is why she moved ahead two years huh?" Slade asked looking at Weiss smugly.

"Well... that was a thing" Yang laughed.

* * *

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces, from this day forward you will work together as team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc" Ozpin announced.

"Huh? Led by?" Jaune asked in shock.

"Congratulations young man"

Pyrrha knocked him over with a playful punch.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces, from this day forward you will work together as team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose"

Yang grabbed her into a hug "I'm so proud of you!"

"We do have one final announcement to make... Slade Stroud, please come up to the stage.

Slade approached the stage through the crowd, he could hear whispers throughout. Some were angry, others curious. Standing before Ozpin he waited patiently.

"You didn't retrieve a piece at all and had no partner for the test. Usually this would be grounds for failure and expulsion. However... you were made aware of your test being unique among first years having been called here by me personally. Therefore I present you with a choice, you must choose one of the teams I have named today to become apart of" The crowd roared with annoyed students angry at his special treatment.

"I understand. I am ready to choose"

"Excellent, which team do you choose?"

"Team RWBY" he answered.

"Very well... Ruby Rose, please come to the stage"

Ruby shyly made her way up to the stage as the crowd finally began to die down.

"Yes, professor?" she asked meekly.

"Mr. Stroud has elected to become a part of your team. Do you accept?" Ozpin asked.

"I get to choose?"

"Yes, if you say reject his choice, he will be forced to choose another team. If you allow him to be part of your team, your academic grades will be paired together as with the rest of your team, your team will be sharing your living quarters with him as well. However he will not be allowed to participate in the Vytal festival tournament until the single rounds are taking place. I ask again... do you accept Mr. Stroud onto your team?"

Ruby looked back at her team to see Blake shrug, Weiss shake her head empathically and Yang giving her a thumbs up. Turning back to Ozpin she answered.

"I do!" she grabbed him into a hug excitedly. Slade tipped over at her sudden weight once more, catching himself before he fell to the ground. Slade laughed at her reaction, she quickly released him with a small blush as she remembered she was in a room full of people.

"This is shaping up to be... an interesting year" Ozpin smiled at them.

* * *

"What were you thinking!" Weiss screeched.

"What? What'd I do?" Ruby jumped at the volume of her voice.

"You let him on our team! He's a boy in an all girls team, of course he would pick our team" she explained.

"JNPR has Nora and Pyrrha, they are with boys too" Blake defended.

"What if he peaks at us in the shower? Or goes through our unmentionables" Weiss asked causing Blake to instinctively cover herself.

"He didn't seem the type, Weiss. Trust me, he's not gonna do anything" Yang assured.

"If I was, I wouldn't be doing it with you Ms. Schnee" Slade chuckled from the doorway.

"Excuse me?!" she asked insulted. Ruby giggled at her reaction.

"Look, if it makes you feel better, I'm one guy against four girls. I think it would end poorly for me if I attempted to do anything" he offered trying to assuage her concerns.

"Well, now that's settled. Where are you going to sleep?" Yang asked looking around the room there was only four beds.

"I believe we can work something out, the last thing I'm worried about right now is sleeping arrangements" he answered.

"Why don't one of us share a bed?" Ruby suggested.

"No!" Weiss screeched.

"Calm down Ice Queen, there isn't enough room in each bed to do that anyway" Slade sighed.

"Ice Queen? That's good! I'm using that" Yang laughed.

"Looks like you're all getting along well" Ozpin chuckled from the doorway.

"Professor! Please, you have to tell them, we cannot have him staying in the same room as us. There isn't enough beds" Weiss pleaded.

"I see... well then... I will have another bed brought at once" he smiled mischievously as he turned and left.

"Professor! That's not what I meant-"

"I sure you will be able to figure something out" he called back as he continued walking. Weiss screeched once more.


	4. Team RWBY

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Team RWBY**

"Pretty fast for an old man" Slade panted out between breaths as he held himself up on one knee.

"Quite slow for a young man" Ozpin shot back with a small smirk.

"Fair enough... should we call it a day?" he asked bringing himself to his feet. Ozpin looked at his watch to see the time.

"I believe that will do for today, you have a class to get to"

"How long?"

"Fifteen minutes" he answered turning toward the school.

"Right" Slade struggled to get his breath back after the exhausting battle he had with Ozpin. He was surprised by Ozpin's ability considering his age, nonetheless he enjoyed the match greatly. Making his way to class he noticed the room to be empty with the exception of a short portly man with gray hair and a mustache covering his face, his eyebrows covered his eyes as well.

"Ah, Mr. Stroud is it?"

"Yes, Professor. It's a pleasure to meet you" Slade greeted.

"Ho, ho! Early and well mannered. I do believe you and I will get along famously"

"Thank you"

"Find a seat and take the text book there, it will be yours for the rest of the year. The other students should be arriving soon"

Slade nodded sitting down in the front on the right side of the room, taking out a small black book from his pocket he began reading to pass the time. His attention shifted to the cage on the opposite end of the room from him, hearing growling.

"You have a Boarbatusk in that cage?" Slade asked curiously.

"Very impressive, Mr. Stroud. I do indeed, captured it myself just yesterday. Are you aware of the beast's abilities or weaknesses?" he asked.

Slade returned his attention to his book "The armor and tusks surrounding it's head make it difficult to attack directly, it's fairly limited to it's ability to attack, only able to charge and roll using it's armor as a battering ram. The best way to take it down is to strike it's underside as it lacks armor" he explained not looking up from his book.

Professor Port clapped his hands together "Well done, Mr. Stroud. That is perfectly correct. I see a lot of myself in you when I was your age"

Slade wasn't sure if he should accept this statement as a compliment or an insult. He elected to nod his head toward him, showing that he heard him. Students began showing up to class one by one. Noticing his team wasn't among them, he looked down at his scroll he noticed the time was 8:55

"You're cutting it close, Ruby. Class starts in five minutes" he pressed send as he finished typing.

* * *

"Alright! Next order of business-" Ruby stopped when her scroll chimed, indicating a message. Removing it from her pocket she read the message.

"What is it?" Yang asked.

"Message from Slade: You're cutting it close, Ruby. Class starts in five minutes-"

"Did you say five minutes?" Weiss asked annoyed.

"Yes?" she answered nervously.

"We're gonna be late you dunce!" she yelled as she ran out the door.

Team JNPR looked out of their dorm to see the rest of team RWBY follow behind her.

"To class!" Ruby yelled.

"Class?" Jaune asked having completely forgotten. Rushing out the door with his team towards the class "We're gonna be late!" he concluded worriedly.

Slade watched as the door slammed open to reveal his team and JNPR crashing through it clumsily.

"Nice of you all to make it to class. Please do try and be on time tomorrow JNPR. As for you Ms. Rose, take Mr. Stroud as an example of when you should show up to class " Port suggested.

"Of course, sir. Won't happen again" Ruby replied with a crisp salute.

"Yes, sir" Jaune groaned from beneath the group.

"Sorry" Ruby whispered to Weiss as they took their seats next to Slade.

"Why didn't you wake us up?" Weiss asked annoyed.

"I told you I was gonna be training with Ozpin" he answered innocently.

"All night?" she asked suspiciously.

"We just finished twenty minutes ago" he assured "Ozpin really knows how to work a guy to the bone"

"How're you still awake?" Ruby asked surprised.

"I'm a traveler, I'm used to going a few days without sleep"

"All right, class listen up" Port called grabbing their attention. Port began his lecture with some bad jokes and a story of his younger days, Ruby doodled a picture of Port snickering as she showed it to the team. Weiss was the only one not pleased with her behavior, Port cleared his throat regaining the attention of the group before continuing. Weiss became increasingly more annoyed with Ruby's behavior as the class went on.

"Who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Port asked the class. Weiss's hand shot up at the question.

"I do, sir!"

"Well then, let's find out! step forward and face your opponent" Weiss went forward and readied her weapon prepared to fight the caged Grimm.

Weiss was allowed to change into her combat outfit quickly before continuing with the lesson.

"Go Weiss!" Yang cheered.

"Fight well!" Blake added.

"Yeah! Represent team RWBY!" Ruby yelled pumping her fist into the air.

"Ruby! I am trying to focus!" Weiss hissed back.

 _Doesn't seem to be bothered by Yang or Blake_ Slade noted to himself.

"Alright let the match begin!" the teacher yelled opening the cage to reveal a Boarbatusk. Rolling away from it as it charged she slashed it before charging it and getting her sword stuck in it's tusks.

"C'mon Weiss show it who's boss!" Ruby cheered.

Weiss's sword was thrown away from her as she was thrown onto her back. Rolling to the right narrowly avoiding it's charge she grabbed her sword.

"Weiss, aim for it's belly! There's no armor-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" she yelled back viciously.

Weiss used a glyph to block the Grimm's rolling charge then used a black glyph to launch herself into it's stomach embedding her blade into it.

"Bravo, it appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today, be sure to cover the assigned readings, and remember: Stay vigilant! Class dismissed.

"Sheesh what's with her?" Jaune asked aloud as Weiss stomped her way out of class. Slade sighed in annoyance.

* * *

Slade sat upon one of the benches overlooking the courtyard reading the book in his hand. Weiss stomped outside looking very angry.

"Something the matter Ice Queen?" he asked without looking up at her.

"Nothing I'm going to tell you about" she sneered.

"Suit yourself" Weiss didn't move after saying this though.

"It's just... Why does Ruby get to be in charge of the team if she doesn't even know the first thing about leadership?" she wined sitting down next to him. Slade smirked lightly, closing his book and placing it back into his pocket he asked.

"It's really bothering you that she's in charge this much?"

"Of course it is! She's done nothing but act like a child and Ozpin makes her leader of the team!"

"You think he made a mistake?"

Weiss nodded emphatically "How else do you explain it?"

"You've said why you don't believe she doesn't deserve the position... but why do you think you deserve it more?" he asked.

"You've seen me fight, you've seen my work ethic. How could I not be the clear choice?" she asked.

Slade sighed in understanding "Weiss, I haven't known Ozpin for long, but from what I can tell: the teachers here are all fiercely loyal to him. You don't inspire that kind of loyalty easily, Ozpin doesn't make decisions lightly. He seems to think through every choice he makes thoroughly before making it. I don't think he made a mistake"

"So you would just blindly accept his decision even knowing how exceptional I am?" she asked confused.

"Your ability on the battlefield is only matched by your poor attitude"

Weiss stood from her place on the bench glaring at him "How dare you!"

"My point exactly"

Weiss stopped glaring at him as she thought about how she had just reacted.

"When I look at you Weiss, I don't see a leader that I would gladly follow into battle. I see a spoiled little girl, a girl that's gotten everything she's ever wanted her whole life"

"That's not even remotely true" Slade just raised an eyebrow "Its not... entirely true"

"Weiss... you don't inspire people to fight with you with your attitude. The only thing you've inspired from others is contempt. My first impression of you was you were a spoiled brat who always got to tell others what to do. Ruby didn't see that when she looked at you. Ruby saw a potential ally, a teammate that she could work with to help others"

"Really?" Weiss asked surprised.

"Leadership is a daunting responsibility I wouldn't wish on anyone. When you lead a team, you're not just responsible for yourself anymore. You're responsible for everyone on the team"

"You think Ruby is up to it?" she asked as she sat back down on the bench.

"I think we owe it to her to allow her the chance to prove she can. Ruby cares about people, a lot more than most people do nowadays. Of all the people I have met at this school, Ruby is the only one that inspires me to be better than who I was yesterday. Not just for me, but for the rest of the team too"

"You really care about her, don't you?" she asked slightly surprised. He nodded his head to her.

"Do you really think acting the way you have would make those in power reconsider their decision?

Weiss looked thoughtful once more "I guess... I hadn't thought about it like that"

"We shouldn't be worrying about what we don't have. Instead we should hold onto the things we do have, they can be taken away before you know it" he replied his eyes downcast, as he thought back to his parents.

"Instead of trying to be the best leader, why not try to be the best person you can be. That way you can not only better yourself, but also those around you" he suggested as he stood from the bench to leave. Weiss looked thoughtfully at him as he left.

"Slade" she called just before he left, stopping him in the doorway. he turned his head toward her, indicating he was listening.

"Thank you... I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. You really are... better than I expected you to be" she complimented with a genuine smile.

Slade smiled back at her "Think on what I said" he winked as he left.

* * *

Slade slept soundly on the bed delivered to their room. It sat just under the bookshelf by the door, across from the bathroom. His eyes shot open as he heard the door open, carefully looking at it he noticed Weiss sneaking inside. Relaxing he laid his head back down.

"Weiss!" Ruby's voice half yelled "I-I was studying and then I fell asleep! I'm sorry" she explained as Weiss placed her hand over her mouth.

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Uh, I-I don't-"

"Answer the question!"

"Cream and five sugars!" Ruby answered the first thing that came to mind.

"Don't move" Weiss ducked under the bed quickly bringing back a full mug of coffee "Here"

"Um... thanks, Weiss"

"Ruby... I think you have what it takes to be a good leader. Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have" Weiss explained proudly.

Slade smiled warmly as they made up, he pretended to be asleep so they wouldn't be interrupted.

"Good luck studying" Weiss ducked back under the bed. She came back up quickly "That's wrong by the way" she pointed out at her paper before moving to the bathroom

 _Glad to see she took my advice to heart_

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"I always wanted bunk beds as a kid" Weiss entered the bathroom after these words to get changed into her sleep clothes. Ruby smiled lightly at her words, looking over at Slade as he slept she asked.

"Slade, are you awake?"

"Need something?" he whispered back.

"I... I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad you're on our team. It wouldn't be the same without you" she answered before laying back down. Slade smiled at her words.

"I wouldn't have it any other way"

* * *

"So... there we were in the middle of the night" Nora told dramatically.

"It was day" Ren corrected.

"We were surrounded by Ursi"

"They were Beowolves"

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of em"

"But they were no match and in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of lien selling Ursa skin rugs" Nora finished proudly.

"She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now"

Slade chuckled at the two of them, looking up at Jaune he noticed he still wasn't eating his food.

"Jaune? Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked concerned.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Why?" he answered broken from his trance.

"It's just that you seem a little... not okay" Ruby pointed out.

"Guys I'm fine. Seriously, look" he held a thumbs up with a fake smile. Cardin could be heard laughing from a nearby table with the rest of his team, picking on a Faunus girl with bunny ears.

Slade stopped listening to their conversation as he glared at the group bullying the Faunus. He was pulled back into the conversation by Nora's enthusiastic yelling.

"We'll break his legs!"

"Great idea" Slade agreed standing from his place at the table.

"Slade? What're you doing?" Ruby asked concerned.

"Teaching Mr. Winchester some manners" he answered without looking at her.

"This should be good" Yang grinned.

"And me without popcorn" Nora agreed.

"Ow that hurts!" came the Faunus girls pained voice as Cardin pulled on her ears. Slade grabbed his arm forcing him to let go, Cardin glared at him standing up from his place at the table.

"You got a problem kid?" he asked standing over him, Slade didn't release his hold on Cardin's arm.

"You're about to have a very big problem" he growled in response.

"Please, don't mess with the grown ups around here kid, you'll just end up-" he tried to threaten before being interrupted by Slade flipping him onto the table.

"Hey, let Cardin go!" Russel demanded stepping onto the table ready to fight. Slade slammed the hilt of his blade into Russel's gut knocking him off the table. Placing it back into his sheathe he turned himself upside-down over Cardin, spinning he kicked Dove and Lark in the face, knocking them down as well. Planting his feet back on the floor he placed his right boot onto Cardin's chest pinning him to the table.

"I'm sorry, were you saying something?" he asked mockingly.

"You have no idea who you're messing with-" Cardin was interrupted by his blade piercing the table next to his face, his hold on his arm never wavering.

"I ever catch you screwing with anyone again, I'll break the other one"

"The other wha-augh!" Cardin yelled in pain as Slade snapped his wrist. Turning toward the girl he adjusted his coat "He shouldn't bother you anymore"

"T-thank you... but why did you help me?"

"If I don't stand up for what's right, then who will?" he asked placing his weapon in it's sheathe "I'm Slade" he extended his hand toward her.

"V-velvet" she stuttered out shaking his hand, surprised by his kindness.

"Pleasure to meet you" he said turning back around he came face to face with Professor Ozpin.

"Mr. Stroud" he greeted with a very angry Glynda behind him.

"Professors" he greeted back.

"Busted" Yang could be heard from the table.

"It would seem Mr. Winchester has had an accident while training with his team... I suppose the infirmary will just have to take a look at that" he smiled knowingly.

"Professor-" Glynda attempted.

"Enjoy the rest of your lunch Mr. Stroud" he turned away motioning for Glynda to follow.

"Thank you, Professor" Slade grinned shaking his head as he did. Sitting back down next to Ruby the table stared at him in shock "What?"

"Remind me never to get on your bad side" Jaune shook his head in amazement.

"Yeah! What was that back there? I've never seen you like that before" Yang pointed out.

"How else was I going to get him to leave her alone?" he asked.

"Did it feel good?" Nora asked with an evil grin, Slade laughed in response.

"I'm just glad it's over, I wasn't aware you cared that much about the Faunus" Pyrrha said curious as to why he defended the girl.

"Faunus or not, she didn't deserve that. I don't see a Faunus when I look at people. I just... see people. They're not any different from you or me, so why should they be treated as such?" he explained his reasoning. Blake smiled warmly at you as you finished explaining.

"I second that!" Ruby yelled enthusiastically.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Weiss asked.

"Mostly for experience, my parents only taught me the basics before I was on my own"

"Your parents only taught you the basics?" Pyrrha asked surprised.

"They weren't around long enough to teach me anything else"

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked cautiously.

"They... we were attacked by Grimm. The village was evacuating... my father stayed behind to slow them down before they could get to the village. My mother took me through the woods to escape the public eye. We lived under the radar our whole lives" he paused a pained look on his face at the memory "My mother... she... she stayed behind as the Grimm found us. She gave me this sword and told me to run, I ran as far as I could. I could hear her screams of agony as I did... then a pack of Beowolves attacked me, I was able to take them down, but only narrowly. That's where I got the scar" he finished lifting his shirt for those who hadn't seen yet.

"Oh... I'm sorry I asked-" Jaune tried to apologize.

"It's fine, Jaune, it was a long time ago. I just... I haven't talked about it to anyone since it happened"

"Is that why your here at Beacon?" Ruby asked.

"I suppose it is part of the reason I'm here. Honestly I was already helping people while I was on my own, usually in exchange for a place to stay the night or some food, even some people were able to teach me some tricks for fighting. I came here because it seemed like the best way for me to get better, that way I can help people more easily" he answered.

"Well I applaud you, not enough people sticking up for the little guy these days" Yang said punching him in the shoulder.

"Or the Faunus for that matter" Ruby added.

"You can say that again" Blake sighed.

"Thank you, I appreciate the sentiment" he smiled at them as the bell rang for them to leave.

"We should get going, I don't want Professor Port to get angry at us again" Ruby said shuddering at the thought, the group laughed at her reaction.

* * *

"The moral of this story of course is that huntsman must always keep a level head no matter the situation. If you lose your focus during a battle, you could end up injured our worse, placing your team in danger" Port explained having finished his story.

Slade sighed bored out of his mind, Ruby giggled at his expense.

"Ms. Rose! I am glad to see you have enjoyed my story" Port called out boisterously. Ruby jumped in surprise at her name.

"Of course, Professor" she answered back sheepishly.

"I need a volunteer for the next part of my lesson. Mr. Stroud! Thank you for volunteering" he called out turning toward him.

"I didn't-"

"Please, step forward"

Slade sighed annoyed, getting up from his chair he walked down to the center of the room.

"Sorry" Ruby whispered as he passed by, he shrugged back at her. Slade was allowed to quickly change into his combat gear.

"As you are the most level headed student here in class, you should have no problem with this demonstration"

"Let's get on with it then"

"Excellent. Show the class how to remain calm and focused during the heat of battle" Slade placed his hood and mask on as well as his sunglasses.

"Fight well!" Blake called out.

"You can do it!" Yang added.

"Show them how team RWBY get's it done!" Ruby cheered.

Slade lowered his glasses slightly, winking at them.

"Let the fight begin!" Port yelled smashing open the gate to the cage. Slade pushed his glasses back over his eyes. a large Beowulf came out from the cage roaring at him.

"Show that thing who's boss!" Nora yelled.

Slade didn't hear here, he was stuck in a trance. Watching the Beowulf he saw flashes of his memory from the night his mother died, smelled the burning wood and heard her screams. The Beowulf roared as it charged at him, breaking his trance. Slade removed his pistol from it's holster under his coat, turning his hand to the right as it approached him he fired a round into it's knee causing it to howl in pain as it fell onto it's back. Slade sidestepped it as it fell, flipping the pistol over he placed his boot onto it's right arm, placing his knee onto it's right to keep it in place.

Grabbing it by the throat with his left arm he began to viciously smash the butt of his weapon into the Beowulf's face. The Beowulf used it's right hand to knock the weapon from his grasp, sending it across the room stopping in front of Port. Unsheathing his blade he stabbed it into the creature's hand then proceeded to profusely beat it senseless as it whimpered in pain.

"Mr. Stroud" Port called trying to gain his attention. The entire classroom looked on in horror as he continued to beat it into the ground "Mr. Stroud!" he called again.

Slade stopped turning his head just enough for him to see that he heard "What?" he asked in an emotionally strained angry tone.

"The creature is dead" he pointed out. Slade looked down at the creature below him to see that he was correct. Looking at his hands he was mortified by what he had just done. Looking up at the classroom, some of the students shrunk back at his gaze. Picking up his sword and pistol he placed them into their sheathe and holster before quickly running out of the class.

"Well... it appears that is all the time we have for today" Port announced dismissing the class as he began to clean up the mess.

"What was that about?" Yang asked confused.

"I don't know... one minute he was fine and the next... that happened" Ruby answered.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Pyrrha asked concerned.

"I hope so... I should go talk to him"

* * *

Slade sat against the door outside the dorm not wishing to face the rest of his team after what happened in class. His head hung in shame as students passed him in the hallway, hearing a pair stop in front of him he looked up to see Ruby staring back at him with concern written on her face. Slade lowered his head once more, not brave enough to face her after what he did. Without saying a word, Ruby sat down next to him and waited.

Slade sighed deeply "Why did you come after me?" he asked without facing her.

"I was worried, it looked like something snapped in you back there" she answered.

"Because it did... I... I saw my mother when I looked at the Beowulf. I could smell the houses burning in the distance, hear her agonized screams"

"I'm sorry... that can't be easy"

"I forgot myself... lost control... I was just... so angry"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Slade. You can't beat yourself up for hating the things that killed your parents" Ruby said reassuring him with her hand on his shoulder. Looking back at her to see her smiling reassuringly at him he sighed.

"I know... I just don't want to do that in the field. If I lost it like that on a mission I could be putting all of you at risk. I couldn't live with myself if I did that"

"I don't think you would do that-"

"Not intentionally I wouldn't... it's what I could do unintentionally"

"I agree" Ozpin's voice said from beside them, they both turned in surprise at his presence "You haven't let yourself grieve for your parents. That's why it still affects you the way it has. Mr. Stroud I would like you to accompany me to my office, I believe you and I should talk about your... incident back in class"

Sighing, he stood up from his place beside Ruby and began following him. Looking back at her he said "Let the rest of the team know it wont happen again" Ruby nodded in understanding. Ozpin guided him to his office without saying a word, arriving he sat down at his desk across from Slade who remained standing.

"Please, have a seat"

"I prefer to stand"

"As you wish... Professor Port tells me you went ballistic on a Beowulf even going so far as to beat it into the classroom floor with your fist"

"Yes, professor. I did"

"Why?"

"I... I lost control-"

"That's what you did. I asked why you did it?"

Slade stood silently, moving to the window he shook his head as he looked outside "My mother... I can still see her terrified face, hear her screams... she..."

"Would you say her death was traumatic for you?"

"I think we both know the answer to that"

"Do you?"

"Of course it was traumatic for me, how is this important?"

"Do you think it's important?"

Slade gave him a very annoyed yet confused glare at his words. Ozpin took a sip from his mug "Who do you blame for her death"

"The Beowolves killed her"

"That is what happened. Who do you blame?"

Slade remained silent once more, a stray tear finding it's way to his face "I could've saved her... if I had stayed and helped she would still be alive"

"You blame yourself for her death"

"She didn't deserve what happened to her-"

"Is that why you've helped people for the past four years practically for free? You believe you need to atone for failing to help when you were needed?"

"It started that way... then I just couldn't find anything else to do... My father only ever told me that I was going to be a fighter. Had me design my weapon when I turned ten years old, trained me with old practice swords until it was made. I didn't know how to do anything else"

"Why did you decide to come here?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why? I didn't force you to come here... so tell me, why did you choose to come here?"

"I... I thought this could teach me how to fight. I already knew enough to survive on my own, but I thought I could learn to better protect others from dangers of this world"

"You weren't too keen on fighting with other students, you'd rather have fought on your own"

"I... I was worried that I was going to put them in harms way. I didn't want more blood on my hands"

"And now you have a team. Friends who care about you. Would you abandon them so easily just to keep them safe?"

"If I was putting them in danger, yes"

"Slade, you cannot place those around you in danger if they choose to fight by you. Leaving may hurt them more than anything they'd experience fighting beside you"

"Then what can I do? How can I keep them safe?"

"You trust them, and yourself. You must trust them to take care of themselves just as much as you must trust yourself to watch their back"

"What if I fail? What if I'm not strong enough to protect them?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Slade. It's very possible that you'll come to lose many of your friends in the coming years. You shouldn't allow that to stop you from fighting with them. They'll be in danger with or without you... the only thing you must decide, is if your up to giving them the best chance they can have"

"I don't know if that's good enough-"

"Slade, you've been through a very traumatic event at a young age, much younger than most have to experience something like that. If your allowing your feelings on that event to affect your decisions-"

"I'm not"

"Not intentionally, Mr. Stroud. It's what your doing unintentionally that could cause more harm than good"

"What do you want from me!?" he yelled turning towards him.

"You've been helping others through their problems. You have wisdom not most your age don't... yet you cannot see what you're doing to yourself"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your consoling others through their problems while internalizing your own. How do you think you've progressed through your grief?" Slade remained silent wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeve.

"I've been standing still, Oz. I'm not going anywhere" he answered his hands turning into fists.

"You've been treading in water for a long time. You know what happens when you tread water for too long?"

"You drown" he answered back his voice strained with emotion.

* * *

"Is he gonna be okay?" Yang asked as both her team and JNPR questioned Ruby.

"We didn't really talk too much before Ozpin took him to his office. He said to tell you that it wouldn't happen again"

"How can we be sure of that?" Weiss asked.

"She's right, we still don't know what made him act that way" Ren agreed.

"I think we all know why he did that" Blake said gaining the attention of the room.

"What're you talking about? How're we supposed to know why he did that?" Jaune asked.

"Remember what he told us at lunch today? About his parents?"

"Beowolves" Pyrrha sighed coming to the realization.

"He did say something about that when we talked" Ruby announced.

"What he say?" Nora asked concerned.

"He said when he looked at the Beowulf he could see his mothers face. He said he could hear her screams and smell the burning village" she answered her eyes downcast.

"That day affected him more than he let's on" Yang concluded.

"You have no idea" Slade said from the doorway.

"Slade! When did you get there?" Ruby asked, jumping in shock with the rest of her friends.

"Relax... I heard everything already. I'm fine"

"You just beat a Beowulf into the floor of our classroom. I'd say you're not fine" Weiss argued.

"Look, I appreciate your concern. I'm fine now, I snapped back in class, but Ozpin and I talked it through"

"Talked it through?" Pyrrha asked.

"After my mother died, I was helping out people almost for free, I was doing this to atone for my mothers death. I blamed myself for not being able to save her, I was bringing that same mindset when it came to you guys. I was terrified of losing someone I care about again. Ozpin showed me that I had to allow myself to move on if I was ever going to be able to trust you guys to be able to take care of yourselves"

"That... is the first thing you've said that has made sense all day" Jaune smiled at him. Slade looked at him with his eyebrow raised "Okay not all day but you get the point"

Slade laughed punching him in the shoulder "Thank you guys, it means a lot to me having friends that care enough about me to meet in secret about my condition" he joked getting a laugh from the group.

"Guess we should get back to studying" Weiss pointed out cheerfully. The group groaned at her excitement.

"How can someone be so happy doing something so boring?" Yang asked exasperated.


	5. Forever Fall

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Forever Fall**

Slade sat bored in class as Glynda lectured them on aura management. Sighing he looked to his left meeting eyes with Pyrrha momentarily before she turned away quickly. Slade noticed her and Jaune had been tense around each other for the past few weeks, leaning towards her he asked "Something going on with you and Arc?"

Pyrrha looked back at him in slight shock, quickly masking it "What makes you say that?"

"You've both been tiptoeing around each other for weeks. What's going on?"

She sighed with a shake of her head "You're too observant for your own good"

"I watch and listen... something you learn to do if you don't want to end up dead" he answered back with a small smile.

"I offered Jaune help with training and he shot me down, then he started hanging around with Cardin, of all people-"

"Did he say why he didn't want your help?" Slade interrupted curiously.

"Something about needing to do it himself" she waved off before continuing "I don't know what put the idea that everything needs to be done by yourself to get better" she sighed in annoyance.

"Sometimes people need to do things on their own instead of the hand holding people often provide. In your case I believe you would be offering him a helping hand and not coddling him, he's probably just got some macho vision of what he should be like instead of what he actually should be doing" Slade explained "Try and ease up on him, he's not exactly the type of person who wants to be left in the sidelines"

Pyrrha's eyes locked onto her boots "I guess I never thought of it that way-"

"Mr. Stroud!" Glynda called grabbing his attention "I believe you've kept yourself in the sidelines for all of our matches this year. Why don't you come down and be Mr. Winchester's opponent for today" she asked making it quite clear it wasn't a suggestion with her stern tone. Slade groaned a "Yes, ma'am" standing up and placing his hood and mask over his face, removing his sunglasses from underneath his coat as well.

"Busted" Yang coughed through her fist with a smirk, getting a laugh from Ruby and Nora beside her.

"This won't take long" he chuckled back to her as he placed his glasses on his face.

"Go get 'em, Slade!" Yang yelled punching him in the arm, knocking him off balance he ungracefully fell down into the ring on his back. Looking up he watched as Cardin was charging toward him with his mace in hand. Sighing he pushed his glasses over his eyes with his right hand.

"Stop! Mr. Winchester!" Glynda yelled after him as he slammed his mace down onto Slade's face, creating a small dust cloud from the wooden wall he hit. The dust cleared to show Slade standing with his legs crossed over the other on his mace with his hands crossed over his chest leaning into the wall.

"That's not very nice, Cardin. Professor Goodwitch didn't say to start yet" he mocked, Cardin sneered annoyed in response. The students watching the match instantly got interested by this development including his own team.

"Mr. Winchester! You will not attack another student under my watch without my permission again unless you want to find yourself kicked out of this academy!" Glynda yelled furiously.

Slade stood up straight waving his hand dismissively before placing them both into his coat pockets "It's fine, Professor. We can start from here" Slade jumped off the mace kicking Cardin in the chest backwards, landing effortlessly on the ground where he previously stood. Cardin slid back several feet from him with a grunt of pain.

"If that's alright with you of course" he said nodding toward her.

"As you wish" she answered with a wave of her hand.

Cardin grinned charging him once more, slamming his mace down into the ground he stood upon, Slade side stepped the strike easily. Swinging his mace wildly in anger he continued to miss as Slade sidestepped every strike. Ducking under a horizontal strike he kicked Cardin's right knee dropping him onto his left knee, spinning himself upward, Slade kicked the back of his head crashing it into the floor.

"You're going to have to do better than that" he mocked, his hands never leaving his pockets.

Cardin growled from his place on the ground, standing back up he lifted his mace over his head to strike vertically "Just shut up already!" he yelled furiously. Removing his left arm from his pocket he blocked the mace with the armored gauntlet he wore. Cardin lifted his knee up aiming for his chest. Slade used his right leg to push Cardin's to his left, stumbling him. Holding the hilt of his blade, Slade slammed it into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs and dropping Cardin onto his knees. Jumping up as he replaced his blade into it's sheathe he spin kicked Cardin in the back knocking him onto his face.

"You talk big for someone so... obviously small" he mocked.

"Shut up!" Cardin yelled swinging his mace for his face. Slade removed his blade from it's sheathe slicing outward with tremendous force he threw Cardin's mace onto the floor beside him. Kicking him in the chest, Cardin fell onto his back with a pistol pointed in his face.

"I do believe that's the match, Professor"

"I'm just getting started-" Cardin protested with a scowl.

"He's right, Mr. Winchester. Your aura is in the red zone and you've been disarmed; at this point in the match, any proctor would've called the outcome by now. Excellent work, Mr. Stroud" she said with a look of shock written across her features.

Slade holstered his pistol and placed Obsidian in it's sheathe "Thank you, Professor" he walked back up to the seats with the rest of his team.

"Looks like your 2 and 0 with Cardin" Ruby giggled making the numbers with her hands.

"Maybe now he'll lose that big head of his" Blake offered hopefully.

"You sure showed him!" Nora laughed.

"That was expertly done" Ren agreed.

"I must admit, you did impress me with your fighting skills" Pyrrha pointed out.

"You and I should go a round or two" Yang said showing off her muscles as she said this.

"I guess having you on the team won't be so bad after all" Weiss said with a slight smile.

"You honor me, Ice Queen" Slade chuckled mock bowing toward her with a flourish of his hand getting a laugh from the others.

"Must be nice being that strong" Jaune mused to himself.

"Strength had nothing to do with it, Arc. I just used his own weaknesses against him"

"Huh?" he asked confused.

"If Cardin and I were to fight using only our strength I would lose, you'd have a much better chance than I would in that circumstance. I fight smarter not harder"

"I'm not sure I understand" Jaune admitted sheepishly.

"I broke Cardin's arm several weeks ago, you recall. It may be healed now but when he fights, he favors his right side. I just made sure to stay to his left side the whole time" Slade explained.

"I bet Cardin really hates you now!" Yang laughed.

"The feeling is mutual" he smirked back in response. Slade caught Jaune watching Pyrrha before quickly averting his eyes when she turned back toward him.

 _Guess I'll have a word with Jaune about that later_ he sighed with a slight shake of his head.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked concerned. Slade smiled reassuringly at her.

"It's nothing, just dreading Oobleck's lecture today"

"Oh... well don't worry about that, just make sure not to draw any attention to yourself and he won't call on you"

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that"

* * *

Ruby sat with Blake studying in her dorm, Weiss was showering in the bathroom nearby. Yang entered the room and looked around curiously "Where's Slade?" she asked.

"Training with Professor Ozpin, said he won't be back until dinner" Blake answered not looking up from her book.

"Good" Yang grinned mischievously.

"Good what?" Ruby asked confused.

"Good because now I can ask you why you haven't told him you like him yet" Yang explained, Ruby flushed a deep red throwing a book at Yang. Yang caught the book easily laughing as she did.

"Thanks for telling the whole team, sis" Ruby sighed.

"I won't say a word" Blake promised without looking up.

"Thanks, can we talk about this later, Yang? I would really not like to get a lecture from Weiss today"

"No, we're talking about this now" Yang answered sitting down next to her.

"Yang" Ruby groaned.

"Talking about it might help" Blake offered genuinely, finally looking up from her book.

"Fine" she relented "I haven't told him yet because every time I try to tell him something comes up or I freeze up" she explained.

"Like what?"

"The first night we stayed here as a team I tried telling him and ended up freezing up and just telling him I'm happy he's on the team"

"Rubes, you've got to stop worrying about what'll happen when you tell him"

"But what if he shoots me down and never speaks to me again?" she asked worriedly.

"He stuck up for you to Weiss even though he knew who she was and didn't even know you at all. Not only that but he stepped between Cardin and Velvet when he was picking on her with his whole team, even though he didn't know who she was. He's too nice of a person to do something like that" Blake explained.

"Yeah, Blake's right. Worst thing that would happen is he tells you he doesn't feel the same way. You'll still be friends, and teammates. Nothing will change that" Yang agreed.

"Y-you're right. But... when should I tell him?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Just wait until you feel it's a good time for it. Don't rush yourself or you might freeze up. Maybe go with him sometime when he goes to train with Professor Ozpin" Yang offered.

"You could always ask him out on a date to somewhere in town. If he says yes then you'll know if he likes you or not, if he says no then you know he doesn't feel the same way" Blake added.

"Who're we talking about?" Weiss asked stepping out from the bathroom.

"No one!" Ruby yelled a little too quickly.

"What're you hiding from me?" Weiss asked in a accusatory tone.

"Ruby is in love" Yang said in a sweet dreamy voice. Weiss started laughing hysterically.

"That's what you're making a big deal about? Who is it? It's not Jaune is it?" she asked grimacing.

"No! No, it's not Jaune... it's not Jaune" Ruby insisted.

"Are you going to make me keep guessing?" Weiss asked slightly annoyed.

Yang looked at Ruby waiting to see if she'd answer, Blake shrugged back at her. Ruby sighed lightly with a shake of her head.

"It's Slade" she whispered out embarrassed. Weiss blinked at her in surprise, she raised her finger indicating she was going to speak before stopping.

"That's... honestly not that surprising" Weiss finally said.

"Really?" Ruby asked confused.

"Yeah, I can see it. You're always hanging around him, and sitting near him in every class. I can definitely see it... you two would be adorable together!" she practically squealed on the last statement. She stopped herself regaining her composure quickly clearing her throat.

"Well... looks like team RWBY is on board with you two being together" Yang chuckled.

"I guess so... you guys really think he'll say yes?" she asked.

"You guys coming out for dinner or what?" Slade asked leaning against the doorway.

"When did you get there!?" Weiss yelled accusingly.

"Just now?" he asked confused "Do you not want food? I don't know about you but I have worked up quite the appetite training with Ozpin" he explained looking tired.

"Team RWBY, to dinner!" Ruby yelled rushing past him. Yang and Blake shared a look before shrugging and following behind her. Weiss sauntered out behind Slade as he ran to catch up with them.

"Don't go eating it all without me" she called as they ran.

"Don't worry, we'll leave you something!" Yang shouted back.

* * *

"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so" Glynda explained as the students all walked through the forest. Jaune bumped into Cardin's back causing him to scowl back at him. Jaune feigned innocence by whistling tunelessly.

"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here by 4 o'clock. Have fun!" Glynda finished instructing.

"Looks like Jaune isn't too keen on being with Cardin" Slade mused aloud to himself.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked looking toward where he was looking. Jaune was walking dejectedly behind Cardin with all of their jars.

"Cardin must've done something to Jaune to make him hang around that pile of garbage team CRDL" Yang agreed.

"I'm going to have a talk with Jaune after the trip, find out what's up" Slade offered as he followed behind them.

Weiss led the team over to a spot in the forest and turned around facing the team "Yang, Blake and I can handle grabbing the sap, do you think you two can handle keeping watch over there?" she asked curiously looking at Slade and Ruby pointing to a spot slightly away from the. Ruby shook her hands in front of her face from behind him.

"Sure, sounds easy enough" Slade answered with a shrug of his shoulders, he walked over to the spot she pointed to.

"Weiss, what're you doing?" Ruby whispered slightly annoyed.

"Giving you an obviously perfect chance to ask him out. Go get him!" she answered back with a grin pushing Ruby in his direction. Stumbling over toward him, she smoothed out her dress while Slade closely watched for any Grimm wandering around.

"Sooooo..."

"So..." Slade answered back with a smirk.

"Whatcha doing this Friday?" she asked curiously.

"Aside from attending classes with you?" he retorted without turning around.

"Okay... what're you doing Saturday?"

"Nothing too pressing, Ozpin wants another training session in the morning after breakfast. Afterwards I will be free all day, planning on doing something?"

"Well I was just wondering if you wanted to-" Ruby was interrupted by his hand coming up in front of her face gesturing her to stop "What is it?"

"We're being watched"

"By what?" she asked scanning her eyes around the forest.

"On the hill, just to our south east" he answered without looking in that direction. Ruby began to turn but was stopped by Slade's hand on her shoulder "Don't look. It's not a Grimm, I recognize Jaune's aura" he explained.

"What is he doing watching us?" she asked curiously.

"I feel four other auras, I think one is Cardin's but I'm not certain" Slade answered with a slight shrug.

"Cardin, what's going on?" Jaune asked watching Slade and Ruby standing below the hill he was on.

"Payback" Cardin explained.

"Slade?" he asked confused following his gaze to Slade and Ruby.

"That's the guy. Kid thinks himself a tough guy, broke my arm and embarrassed me in front of the class in Goodwitch's" Cardin explained.

"Alright, boys. Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps, and now, we're gonna put him to work" Russel placed his hand onto Jaune's shoulder causing him to laugh nervously.

"Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things looooove sweets. I'm thinking it's time we teach him a thing or two" Cardin explained grinning. Standing up he offered his hand to Jaune only to painfully force him onto his feet and shoving a jar into his hand "And you're gonna do it"

"Do what?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Hit him with the sap!" Cardin leaned close to Jaune's face "Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon" he threatened.

Jaune turned toward Slade who stood with Ruby still talking, aiming his throw he steeled himself for what he was about to do "No" Jaune said lowering the jar in his hand.

"What did you just say?" Cardin asked in disbelief.

"I said no!" he yelled throwing the sap on Cardin instead.

"Oh, you've done it now" CRDL led Jaune further back into the forest beating him profusely as they did.

"They're leaving" Slade said slightly confused turning toward where they previously stood.

Suddenly a loud roar tore through the forest "Did you hear that?" Ruby asked opening Crescent Rose.

"Ursa! Ursa!" Russel yelled bumping into Yang, she picked him up by his collar.

"What! Where?" she asked.

"Back there! It's got Cardin!" Russel yelled pointing behind him.

Pyrrha dropped the jar of sap in her hand shattering on the ground "Jaune" she breathed out worriedly.

"Yang, Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" Ruby ordered.

"You two go with them, there could be more" Pyrrha ordered Nora and Ren.

Slade and Weiss turned around to see a few Ursa coming towards them.

"Get going, Ruby. We've got this" Slade called back nodding to Weiss unsheathing Obsidian.

"Let's do this" she agreed as Ruby and Pyrrha ran toward the direction Jaune was in.

Weiss charged forward creating a trail of ice in her path slicing through two of them at once and freezing them in place. Slade transformed his weapon into rifle form, dropping onto one knee, he fired multiple shots easily taking down several of them that Weiss missed with her strikes before they could attack her. One Ursa came up behind him raising his paw to strike, Weiss stabbed her sword into it's chest killing it instantly.

"Thanks" he answered back standing up straight holstering his pistol and sheathing his blade.

"Nice job covering my back" she offered as well. Ruby and Pyrrha calmly walked back toward them.

"Where's Jaune and Cardin?" Slade asked slightly confused they returned alone.

"Jaune just save Cardin" Ruby answered with a smile.

"They're alright then?" Goodwitch asked approaching urgently with Yang, Blake, Nora, and Ren.

"Yes, Professor. Jaune defeated the Ursa attacking Cardin" Pyrrha answered.

"Hmm... I suppose I should talk to them both once we arrive back at Beacon for the full details. Gather your things, students. We're leaving" Glynda announced turning to leave.

"So, Ruby, you were asking me something before we were interrupted?" Slade asked turning toward her.

"I-I... I was just... uh..." Slade raised his eyebrow in confusion at her stuttering. Yang elbowed her in the back causing her to say the first thing that came to mind "I was wondering if you would train with me tonight!" she practically yelled.

"Sure" Slade answered turning away following Glynda. Yang shook her head in disappointment at Ruby.

"I'm sorry" Ruby sighed.

"You weren't kidding about freezing up" Yang sighed as well.

"I don't know what it is! I can talk to him just fine but it's when I need to ask him out that I freeze or chicken out" she groaned.

"Don't worry, we'll just have to work on it together. You're freaking out to much" Yang said assuring her with a hug.

"Thanks, sis"

* * *

"You asked to see me, Professor?" Jaune asked entering Ozpin's office. Ozpin turned around in his chair to face him.

"Indeed, Mr. Arc. Please, take a seat"

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked curiously.

"Professor Goodwitch informed me about the incident during your field trip. I hear you saved Mr. Winchester from an abnormally large Ursa"

"Yes, sir"

"That's rather heroic, Mr. Arc" Ozpin smiled warmly at him.

"I just did what anyone else would've done, Professor"

"You and I both know that isn't true"

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Winchester's own team abandoned him to the Ursa while you decided to save him. You risked your own life to save his even knowing he had the ability to have you expelled"

"Cardin told you?" Jaune asked not really that surprised.

"No, Mr. Arc. He has not told anyone about your transcripts. I was aware you had no combat training before you were accepted here"

"Then why did you let me attend?" Jaune asked.

"Because you had potential, you had the drive and the determination to become a great Huntsman. You've already proved to me you have what it takes to be a Huntsman, you only need to further hone your skills"

"Thank you, sir"

"Do not thank me for this, Mr. Arc. The path you have chosen is a difficult one sure to be wrought with dangers to both you and your friends. You may lose some of your own classmates in the future... but no matter how we are affected by the obstacles laid in our path will be there for everyone. Don't let hardship discourage you, and never be too proud to accept a helping hand"

"I-I'll do my best, sir"

"You're dismissed"

* * *

Slade turned his blade over his back blocking Ruby's scythe strike from behind. Twisting around he kicked her in the chest throwing her onto her back, leaping toward her she spun on her back firing Crescent Rose in sniper form into his chest knocking him onto his own back. Standing back up he dusted off his clothes with his hands.

"Nicely done" he laughed.

"Gotta be faster than that if you want to keep up with me" she said as Jaune and Pyrrha came onto the roof with them.

"What's going on up here?" Jaune asked confused.

"Ruby's training me to be faster so I can keep up with faster opponents than myself"

"You're being helped by another student?" Jaune asked shocked.

"Of course, I asked her if she'd help me after she asked me to train with her tonight. She is helping me just as I am helping her not fight so obviously. Everyone needs help sometime or another, anyone who thinks otherwise is arrogant and moronic" he explained.

Jaune's eyes were downcast at his words, sighing deeply "I get it, I know I messed up guys"

"Yes, you really did. But you came through when it counted, Jaune. Don't be too hard on yourself, we all make mistakes" he assured placing his hand onto Jaune's shoulder.

"You mind if we borrow your training spot?" Pyrrha asked through a laugh.

"Not at all, we were just finishing up" Ruby assured leading Slade down from the roof.

"Have fun" Slade called back over his shoulder.

"Think they're gonna be alright?" Ruby asked as they walked toward their dorm.

"They'll be fine" he assured with a chuckle "We still going with the team into town tomorrow?" he asked.

"Hell yeah!" Yang yelled from the dorm room poking her head out to see them "Nothing is changing that! We're heading into town first thing in the morning!" she yelled excitedly pointing at them.

"Nice to see some of us are excited about the festival" Blake giggled.

"What's not to be excited about?" Weiss asked "The festival is the greatest time of the year here in Vale"

"Simmer down, guys. Let's make sure we all get some rest, we're gonna be doing a lot of walking tomorrow in town" Slade explained.

"Good idea" Weiss agreed getting into bed almost immediately.

"Looks like everyone is more excited about the festival but me" Slade laughed.

"Why aren't you excited?" Ruby asked curiously.

"I've never gone to the festival before, why would I be excited about something I've never experienced"

"You'll change your tune, we're gonna show you a good time tomorrow" Yang assured getting into bed.

"You know it!" Ruby agreed getting into her own.

"Guess we'll see" he laughed settling into his own.

"Goodnight!" Ruby yelled to everyone.


	6. White Fang

**Thank you guys so much for all your support, I'm so glad you guys are liking this story! Anyway enjoy chapter five**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Five: White Fang**

"How much farther is it?" Slade asked following behind his team through town.

"Should be just up here" Ruby answered pointing.

"Excellent, hopefully we'll be done in time for me to take a damn nap" he yawned out.

"Ozpin really tires you out huh?"

"He certainly knows how to keep me on my toes" They stopped in front of a large banner "Welcome to Vale" Slade read aloud.

"The Vytal Festival! Oh this is absolutely wonderful!" Weiss gushed smiling brightly.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much before Weiss... it's kinda weirding me out" Ruby admitted sheepishly.

"You're not the only one" Slade chuckled.

"How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances, parades, a tournament! The amount of organization and planning that goes into this is simply breathtaking!" she continued gushing as she led them forward.

"You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring" Yang sighed crossing her arms over her chest.

"Quiet you!" Weiss shot back unappreciatively.

"Aren't we supposed to be having fun? I was under the impression you were showing me why I should be excited for the festival, so far it's a bit underwhelming" Slade said tilting his head toward Yang.

"Yeah, exactly. So remind me why we chose to spend our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang agreed as they came to a stop.

"Ugh, they smell like fish" Ruby groaned covering her nose in disgust.

"You don't say?" Slade smirked as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. And, as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom!" Weiss explained.

"She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." Blake explained as Weiss turned to lead them away.

"You can't prove that!" Weiss scoffed in response.

Ruby turned her head to the right and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight "Whoa" the team looks at a shattered window down the street and a door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force before walking over to the detective in front, who is writing on his pad "What happened here?" she asked as they approached.

"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." The detective answered over his shoulder as he approached his partner.

Yang sighed sadly "That's terrible." Slade's ears perked up slightly as he listened to the two detectives conversing gaining Ruby's attention as well.

"They left all the money again."

"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?"

"I don't know, an army?"

"You thinking the White Fang?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough." he answered removing his glasses.

"Hmph! The White Fang." Weiss crossed her arms and pointing her nose in the air with her eyes closed "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"

"What's your problem?" Blake asked.

"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." she answered turning to her.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"

"So then they're very misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!"

"Hmm... Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago... Maybe it was him." Ruby offered.

"Torchwick?" Slade asked suddenly very curious "How do you know Torchwick?"

"He was the one I tried to stop from robbing that dust shop the night Ozpin let me skip ahead a few years to come to Beacon" she explained.

"Torchwick was stealing dust? Did they take the money too?" he asked.

"No, only the dust. Doesn't make any sense right?" she asked confused as well.

"Dust is freely accessible to everyone, you wouldn't need to steal it if you wanted some. Sounds to me like Torchwick isn't looking to get paid for the dust he stole. Stockpiling it maybe?" he wondered aloud.

"Like for what? A big heist or something?" Yang asked.

"Maybe... Torchwick is smart enough and skilled enough to not need dust to get into a place no matter how well protected... it's got to be something else"

"Whatever it is, that still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal." Weiss continued causing Blake to grow increasingly angry.

"That's not necessarily true-" Yang defended.

"Hey! Stop that Faunus!" yelled someone off in the distance.

"Can't say that was good timing" Slade chuckled with a shake of his head.

As the team overhears the cry for help and rush over to investigate, a Faunus with a golden monkey tail named is seen running down the length of the boat and leaping on to the edge as the two sailors are about to apprehend him. Looking back at his pursuers he jumps off and hits the dock running using his tail to hang on a lamppost while he peels back a banana, before he eats, one of the detectives down below throws a stone at him to get his attention. He drops the banana peel on the detective's face, who growls in return. The monkey-like Faunus twirls up to crouch on the lamppost, laughs in amusement, and proceeds to leap off and run away from the detectives. As he runs past Team RWBY, he winks at an astonished Blake in slow motion before time speeds up again and he continues to be chased by th _e_ officers.

"Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..." Yang said as they watched him get farther away from them.

"Quick! We have to observe him!" Weiss yelled pointing in his direction as she leads them away to chase after him. Turning a corner Weiss stumbled into someone knocking them both to the ground, looking up she watched as he escaped her view.

"No, he got away!"

"Uhh... Weiss?" Yang points strangely to the girl underneath her. Weiss finally sees that she fell on a smiling girl, which startles the heiress and she hastily gets up.

"Sal-u-ta-tions!" she greeted from the ground still smiling widely.

"Um... hello." Ruby greeted confused.

"Are you... okay?" Yang asked sharing her sisters confusion.

"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking."

the team looks at each other in bewilderment before Yang speaks up again "Do you... wanna get up?"

The girl thinks about this for a moment "Yes!" she leaps back on her feet while the team steps back a little "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" she introduced.

 _Impressive reflexes for someone who walked right into Weiss_ Slade thought to himself watching her carefully.

"Hi Penny. I'm Ruby."

"Slade"

"I'm Weiss."

"Blake."

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Blake hits her side "Oh, I'm Yang."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"You already said that."

Penny paused for a moment "So I did!"

"Well, sorry for running into you!" Weiss said as they turned around and start walking away

"Take care, friend!" Ruby waved back at her as she left.

"She was... weird" Yang said after they got far enough away for her not to hear.

"Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?" Weiss asked ignoring her statement.

"She was odd" Slade agreed.

"What did you call me?" Penny asked surprised from in front of them.

Weiss looks back and forth in shock and Yang looks apologetic "Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me!" Slade was watching her closely now shocked by her speed.

"No, not you." walks through the group and leans her head down to Ruby "You!"

"Me? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..."

"You called me 'friend'! Am I really your friend?" Penny asked eagerly.

"Uuuum..." she looks over Penny's shoulder while her teammates motion to deny her, Slade shrugged in response not really caring one way or the other "Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?"

Ruby's teammates comically faint, but Penny looks overjoyed and laughs "Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"

Ruby groaned to Weiss as she brushed herself off "Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?"

"No, she seems far more coordinated."

"She does seem awfully... quick for someone so unobservant" Slade agreed.

"So... what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked

"I'm here to fight in the tournament."

"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"I'm combat ready!" she answered with a salute.

"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part."

"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake shot back.

"It's a combat skirt! Weiss protested.

the skirt sister speeds over to Weiss' side "Yeah!" Weiss holds out her hand and Ruby low-fives it.

"Wait a minute. If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed... rapscallion?"

"The who...?"

Holding up a poor drawing of the criminal-in-question "The filthy Faunus from the boat!"

"Why do you keep saying that?!" Blake yelled angrily.

"When did you draw that?" Slade asked curiously.

"Huh?" Weiss asked confused turning to Blake.

"Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?" she shot back sarcastically.

"Weiss-" Slade tried to warn her.

"Stop it!"

"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!"

"You ignorant little brat" Blake growled.

Weiss looks offended, but when Blake walks away, she follows "How dare you talk to me like that! I am your teammate!"

"You are a judgmental little girl."

"What in the world makes you say that?"

"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!"

Yang sliding up to Ruby, looking uncomfortable "Um, I think we should probably go..."

"Where are we going?" Penny asked popping up behind Ruby with a smile.

"So you admit it! The White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!

"ENOUGH" Slade's voice boomed behind them causing them all to turn in shock at him "Neither of you know what the hell your talking about"

"Excuse me?!" came their simultaneous response.

"Blake, do you have any idea what it is like to be attacked or stolen from just because your who you are? Faunus of the White Fang target humans for being humans and noting more. Maybe they used to be better but now they aren't just misguided criminals, they're terrorist who hurt people, humans and Faunus alike through their actions"

Blake's head slumped at his words, Slade turned on Weiss shortly after.

"Weiss, do you know what it's like to be hated and condemned simply for being born a Faunus? The White Fang judge humanity by people like Cardin just how we judge them by people like the White Fang. None of the Faunus had a choice to be born the way they are, they simply have to live the life they have the best way they can. Sometimes people have to resort to unsavory means to survive, I've made my fair share" he admitted causing her to lower her head shamefully.

"You're both members of the same team, friends and classmates. You shouldn't let a difference of opinion change anything between you two, The White Fang could be a misguided group of civil activists or a terrorist cell. Either way it doesn't have anything to do with your friendship and you should keep it that way-"

"Even if her opinion is wrong and unjustified?" Blake asked.

"An opinion can never be wrong Blake, unjustified? You don't know the half of it"

"Why would she care so much anyway? It's not like she's a Faunus-" Weiss argued.

"And if she was would it make a difference? Wake up!" Slade sighed shaking his head in annoyance "If you two can't learn to get along despite your differing opinions then you can count me out. Talk to me when you've made up and finally started acting like huntresses" he finished turning away and leaving.

"Slade, wait! Don't leave, c'mon we haven't even done anything fun yet" Yang tried, he didn't even flinch. Slade just continued walking until he was no longer in sight.

"Happy now?" Ruby asked annoyed towards them. Weiss and Blake both looked at each other before sighing deeply.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know my opinions on the Faunus would make you so upset" Weiss began.

"I... I'm sorry too, Slade's right. I don't know what you've been through, how could I know your opinion is unjustified"

"Why don't you both try clearing the air then?" Ruby suggested.

"Sounds good to me" Yang agreed.

They both stared at each other before smiling once more "My family has been attacked by the White Fang for years. I've lost a lot of close members of my family and company alike... I guess I shouldn't judge all Faunus by what the worst of them do" she admitted.

"I... I..." Blake removed her bow revealing her cat ears to the group, they all gasped in shock "I used to be a member of the White Fang. I left when they started going too far with their attacks. I couldn't stand by and watch as we hurt innocents" she admitted to the group "I hope this doesn't change anything" Ruby grabbed her into a hug.

"Of course it doesn't, we're still friends"

"Yeah, would take a lot more than that to change anything between us" Yang agreed with a one armed hug. Weiss stood with confusion written on her face, she looked torn.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Your... a Faunus?" she asked knowing the answer already. Blake nodded "I... this doesn't change anything, we're still friends" she said offering a warm smile as she lightly hugged the group.

"Looks like Slade was right" Yang pointed out.

"Again" Ruby giggled.

"As much as it pains me to admit it. He usually is" Weiss agreed "I'll deny it if you tell him I said that" she added causing the group to laugh.

"You don't think he'll be angry at me for lying to him do you?" Blake asked nervously.

"I doubt it, he doesn't care if someone is a Faunus or not. He cares about what kind of person you are, not if you have cat ears or a monkey tail" Ruby assured. Blake smiled brightly.

"Thanks guys... I think I need to be alone for a bit, I just need some time to think"

"We're just a phone call away" Yang said holding up her scroll with a smile.

* * *

"Slade and Blake have been gone all day, do you think they're okay?" Ruby asked concerned as she hung by her legs from her bed.

"I'm sure they're fine, Blake wanted some time alone and Slade just needed to cool off" Yang answered reassuringly.

"Yang's right, I'm sure they're fine. I just hope Slade forgives Blake and I for being such fools today" Weiss sighed dejectedly.

"Slade's not the type to hold a grudge over a simple mistake, he'll come around" Ruby smiled brightly causing Weiss to return her smile. The door to their room opened to reveal Blake standing in the doorway nervously.

"Is something wrong?" Yang asked concerned standing from her bed.

"I ran into someone while I was out" she answered "Please don't be mad, Weiss" she pleaded.

"Mad? Why would I be-" Weiss stopped short at seeing the Faunus from the docks "-mad" an uncomfortable silence covered the group, the Faunus cleared his throat gaining their attention.

"I'm Sun Wukong, I'd say Blake's told me a lot about you guys... but she doesn't talk all that much" he laughed as Blake elbowed him in the side.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Ruby Rose" she introduced swinging excitedly by her legs.

"Yang" she offered crossing her arms over her chest. Weiss just stared at him suspiciously.

"Why did you bring him back here, Blake?" she asked her voice betraying her calm demeanor.

"We bumped into each other, he asked how to get to Beacon and I showed him the way" she answered shuffling her feet slightly as she did.

"I heard you both had a pretty heated argument over me. Normally this is where I'd say something stupid like "I love it when the ladies fight over me" but I realize the context of the argument wasn't about me so much as Faunus as a whole" Sun explained.

"She told you about our argument?" Weiss asked looking at Blake past his shoulder.

"More like I forced it out of her, she looked like something was bothering her and I wanted to see if I could help"

"You wanted to help?" Weiss asked crossing her arms over her chest watching him suspiciously.

"I know the docks wasn't the best first impression of me, but I promise I'm not a criminal or anything. I stowed away because I lost my boat ticket, I was supposed to come here with the other students from Vacuo" he explained. a soft knock came at the door behind them, Blake answered it quickly trying to change the direction of the subject. Ozpin stood on the other end of the door.

"Good evening girls, is Mr. Stroud in?" he asked curiously.

"No, Professor. Do you need him for something?" Yang asked approaching Blake from behind.

"I'm just surprised he didn't show up for training. He's never late" Ozpin answered rubbing his chin in thought "Have you seen him around?"

"Not since he stormed off during our argument" Weiss answered "Do you think he is in trouble?"

"Mr. Stroud is capable of handling himself... still I find it odd that he should just vanish like this. Please send him my way if you see him" Ozpin instructed before turning to Sun "Mr. Wukong? Your team seemed to be under the impression you missed the boat"

"I didn't miss it I was just hiding below decks since I lost my ticket" he answered as if it wasn't a problem.

"Did you now? Well... I'm glad to see you've made it despite your issue. I wish you luck in the tournament" he finished turning to leave.

"At least we know he's telling the truth now" Yang offered.

"That's not important right now, what is important is Slade's missing" Weiss concluded with a sense of urgency.

"Have you tried calling him?" Sun asked "Might've just got something to eat and forgot about training"

"You don't understand, Slade never misses combat training, especially not with Professor Ozpin" Blake explained. Ruby called him on her scroll waiting for several seconds before hearing a click.

"Slade? Are you there? It's Ruby, where are you-"

"This number is no longer in service, please contact-" the voice suddenly broke off into static.

"That can't be good" Yang concluded.

"Can't we find out where his scroll is? We should be able to locate him that way" Blake offered.

"Maybe, but we'd need it to be active. If his scroll is off it won't help us" Sun explained, the group stared at him in confusion "What? I want to help too, if your friend is in trouble he's gonna need help"

"He's got a point" Ruby agreed "We're gonna need to- what?" Ruby interrupted herself looking at her scroll in confusion.

"What is it?" Yang asked.

"Slade's scroll came online for a few seconds, now nothing"

"Where?"

"In Vale, somewhere in the southwest quadrant of town. I wasn't able to find an exact spot"

"Then let's get going, we're gonna find him" Sun said bolting out the open window easily scaling down the nearby tree.

"I'll stick with Sun and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. The rest of us should split up" Blake said as she jumped out the window as well "We'll take the docks area!" she called back as she landed on the tree.

"Guess that means I'll take main street with Weiss" Yang concluded "Keep your scroll handy in case his comes back online again" she said leaping after Blake and Sun.

"Good luck, Ruby" Weiss said following shortly behind her. Ruby stood in the empty dorm staring down at her scroll with worry etched onto her features.

"Slade... please be safe" she whispered as somewhat of a prayer before following behind the rest of her team.

* * *

"We've been looking for hours!" Sun groaned "If he hasn't shown up on the docks yet then he won't show up"

"His scroll was active nearby the docks for a few seconds, it has to be where he is" Blake said as they looked around from a warehouse rooftop.

"Look, I want to find your friend too. But have you ever considered maybe we should look somewhere else? This is clearly a bust-" Sun stopped as Blake placed her finger over his mouth.

"Do you hear that?" she asked looking around.

"Hear what?"

"Get down!" she yelled tackling him onto his back as a bullhead flew overhead stopping just above the canisters nearby, landing multiple armed men came out and began searching through the crates.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sun asked.

"The White Fang" Blake sighed "What're they doing here? Are they really behind all the dust robberies?"

"All right, grab the tow cables!" one of the thugs yelled to the others.

"You didn't think it was them?" Sun asked.

"No, it didn't make any sense to me... but apparently they're into different things since I left" she answered.

"Hey! What's the holdup!?" the thugs look up at Roman Torchwick gesturing widely and coming down the ramp "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace? he asked with a flourish of his hand.

"This isn't right... the White Fang would never work with a human. Especially not one like that" Blake said he anger showing clearly. She stands up and unsheathes the katana of Gambol Shroud before walking off the edge of the roof

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Sun asked alarmed. Blake falls to the ground in a crouch, then continues on to hide behind one of the containers, peeking around the corner to see Roman berate a White Fang member holding a coil of rope.

"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!" as he's looking around, Blake suddenly appears behind him with her blade at his throat "What the- Oh, for f-" he rolls his eyes when he's cut off by Blake mid-swear

"Nobody move!" The White Fang soldiers ready their guns and equip their swords in response.

"Whoa! Take it easy there, little lady." As the White Fang closes in on her, Blake uses her free hand to go for her bow and remove it, causing the ribbon to fall away as her Faunus ears are shown to the world.

"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum? The White Fang members lower their weapons a little at this development, unsure of what to do, when Roman laughs.

"Oh, kid, didn't you get the memo?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!"

"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation." Suddenly, the air is filled with more turbines blowing the wind wildly around the holdup.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation" he said looking up "About time he got here" Roman chuckled.

"Who're you talking about?" she asked nervously, Sun got closer to her position without being noticed as this went on.

"My newest recruit, he's a bit different than anyone you've faced up to now" Roman answered as a hooded figure landed in front of the two of them, standing up he stared Blake in the eye with a deadly glare.

"It can't be" Blake gasped.

"Oh, but it can be" Roman chuckled firing his cane into the ground throwing Blake back several feet. Turning around he fired several more forcing her to dodge and duck behind a canister for cover.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty" Roman taunted as he gestured for the figure to go after her, a banana fell onto his head just before Sun landed on his chest slamming him into the ground.

"Leave her alone"

"You are not the brightest banana in the bunch are ya kid?" Roman asked as White Fang soldiers surrounded them. Sun easily dispatched them with his staff throwing the last one toward the hooded figure.

"Get him Slade!" Roman yelled annoyed as he ducked under the soldier soaring his way.

"Slade?" Sun asked confused.

"He's mine!" Blake yelled clearly pissed.

Blake goes in close and becomes a blur of afterimages as she slashes both blades at Slade, who backs away and deflects each would-be blow with his gauntlets at unbelievable speeds. Blake continues to dash, hop over, and slide around Slade to try and find a weak spot. Slade grabs her left arm and slung her around his shoulder throwing her back toward Sun.

Sun appears right behind her and disconnects his staff in two spinning circles of flame-firing shotgun nunchucks. Sun swings each gun at Slade while firing everything he has at him, but even with the rapid series of shots and flying bullets, Slade manages to defend himself against every bullet and hit with relative ease, just as Blake came back into the fight going for the opening he left, Roman fires his cane at the crane above them dropping a canister toward them. Slade pushed Blake and Sun out of the way barely escaping the canister himself.

"Glad you didn't get caught in that" Roman chuckled.

"Barely" Slade scoffed back.

Blake and Sun stared at each other in shock "What just happened?" Sun asked.

"He pushed us out of the way" Blake answered barely believing it herself.

"Why would he do that if he was trying to kill us?" Sun asked in utter confusion.

"He wasn't trying to kill us at all" Blake realized suddenly "He only blocked our attacks, instead of attacking us"

"There's no way he could've blocked all our attacks if he wasn't fighting seriously"

"You've never seen him fight before"

"Hey!" Ruby's voice called grabbing the groups attention.

"Oh, hello, Red. Isn't it past your bed time?" Roman asked sarcastically. Ruby turned to Penny behind her, Roman took this moment to fire his cane at her knocking Ruby onto her back. Slade stared in shock as she flew through the air.

"Ruby" his fist closed around his blade's hilt unsheathing it and striking for Roman's throat. Torchwick blocked the attack with his cane effortlessly.

"You finally show your true colors"

"You shouldn't have attacked my friends" Slade kicked his left leg stumbling Roman and slamming his blade hilt into his chest sending him onto his back.

Penny's backpack mechanically opens up, and from its dark depths comes a single sword that extends and multiplies into several blades hovering over Penny's back. Leaping from the rooftop with the weapons acting as wings, she sends three of her swords to knock two White Fang soldiers down before even landing on the ground, where she proceeds to fling the swords at one enemy, impale another to a wall, create a barrier of spinning steel against a running attack, leaping over a goon with her swords in tow, and finally making a wheel that she throws to knock multiple Faunus off their feet.

Three bullheads come from the skies and open fire on the battle, but Penny merely forms a shield with the blades and launches two of her swords into the wall behind her, which in turn pull their wielder back with their strings. When her swords swirl around her again, she commands them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light. With a punching action, several bright lasers crack the pavement when they fire at the transports and slice each one in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and letting Ruby watch as Bullheads fall in pieces behind her. Stunned, she turns back to Penny as she aims her swords at the remaining Bullheads holding the crate of Dust and pulls back on their wires, tugging the aircraft with them.

"What the hell?" Slade said aloud watching in awe as she did this. Seeing the Bullhead's flight fall under Penny's control, Roman grimaces and turns to run towards the last transport. Noticing this, Slade bolts toward Torchwick attempting to stop his escape. Penny interpreted this as him trying to escape as well and launched a canister at him.

"These kid's just keep getting weirder" Roman noted aloud as he closed the transport door.

"Penny wait!" Blake yelled from behind her. Slade dropped onto his knees and bent his back under the canister sliding as it soared over him. Quickly rising to his feet he watched as Roman escaped in the bullhead. Penny launched her blades toward him as he stood watching Roman escape, turning just in time to see them he jumped through the incoming blades easily avoiding them, using his left gauntlet he deflected a blade that changed course for his chest as he exited the barrage of blades.

Penny charged Slade forming a shield of blades over her arms and attacking with them as weapons. Using his blade he deflected the blades twisting and spinning his blade changing hands as he defended against the incredible amount of strikes, dropping into a back handspring he moved away from Penny. Charging once more she struck furiously dropping Slade onto one knee as he deflected the attacks with his gauntlets and blade simultaneously. Standing back up he changed from defensive to offensive and struck Penny several times in the chest stumbling her. Appearing behind her as she launched her blades into the ground he previously occupied he twisted around slamming his elbow into her back throwing her into the air, appearing above her he smashed his leg into her head propelling her into the ground beneath them.

Penny landed on her feet sliding away from him and forming her blades into multiple small lasers cannons, firing them at Slade. Rolling forward under a laser he spun to his left avoiding another and back handsprung over two more. Standing back up he ducked under a single blade soaring toward his head, twisting his blade around behind his back he deflected two more effortlessly then twisting the blade down to deflect a third. Twisting as he did he avoided a wall of blades soaring toward his chest and front flipped over them as they came back around for his legs. Back flipping over two lasers he landed on his chest sliding under the third laser toward Penny, standing up he slammed his blade hilt into her chest knocking her onto her back.

"Stop!" Ruby yelled causing Penny to stare up at her in confusion "He's my friend" she explained.

"Oh" Penny leaped to her feet and extended her hand to Slade "I'm Penny! What's your name?" Slade removed his hood and mask to reveal his face, lowering his sunglasses he chuckled lightly.

"We've met before, Penny. I must say I enjoyed the challenge you presented in combat. I look forward to fighting you in the tournament"

"Slade! I apologize for not recognizing you"

"That's what the mask is for, my dear" he laughed waving his hand dismissively.

"What the hell is going on here?" Weiss asked as her and Yang arrived on the docks.

"I was about to ask you all the same thing. What're you doing here on the docks?" Slade asked curiously.

"Us? What're you doing? Why were you paling around with Torchwick? Why didn't you tell us where you were going?" Blake asked accusingly.

"I left after lecturing you and Weiss if you remember and then I found out about a large shipment of dust coming on the boats from Atlas. I decided to investigate and ended up joining with Torchwick. I was just trying yo learn why he wanted all this dust in the first place" he answered.

"So you weren't with him before today?" Yang asked.

"I had never even met the man before today. I promise you I was just looking for information... might've even gotten it too had Blake not shown up when she did. Though I believe she had her own reasons"

"Why did you attack us then?" Sun asked.

"I didn't attack you, you both attacked me. I simply defended myself, you may recall me pushing you both out of harms way during our dispute"

"I told you he wasn't attacking us" Blake added to Sun once more.

"I heard you, I just wanted to see what he had to say for himself"

"Smart, always listen to your instincts" Slade nodded toward him "I don't believe we've been properly introduced" he extended his hand to Sun.

"Sun Wukong. I already know who you are" he introduced accepting his gesture.

"How did you manage to join with Torchwick so fast? It's only been a couple of hours since our argument" Weiss asked suspiciously.

"I know how to make people draw their own conclusions, I used my reputation as a mercenary to get Torchwick's attention and let me in on the job. People are really easy to trick once they think they know who you are"

"And how do we know you are who you've told us you are?" Yang asked.

"Have I ever done anything to make you distrust me before today? Have I ever done anything to put any of you in harms way?" he asked. The team looked between each other before nodding.

"Glad to have you back" Ruby said pulling him into a hug, soon Blake, Weiss, and Yang all included themselves in the hug.

"They've been looking for you all night, you had them worried sick" Sun explained with a small laugh.

"I promise not to do that again"

"Why didn't you call us when you knew what was going on?" Weiss asked.

Slade held up his broken scroll "I tried, someone spotted me and destroyed my scroll when I attempted to call you. I had to play it off as I was attempting to call Torchwick to set up a meeting. That's when they brought me in on this thing" he explained.

"Ozpin's gonna be pissed" Yang laughed. Slade's head hung dejectedly in response causing the rest of the group to laugh.

"Where'd Penny go?" Slade asked suddenly causing the group to look around, not spotting her anyway they grew confused.

"I didn't even hear her leave" Blake said in surprise.


	7. Rising Tension

**Hey guys, here is chapter six! I decided to be nice today and give you two chapters instead of one! Please hold the applause... alright no one is clapping. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy them! Thank you all for your wondrous reviews and support, please feel free to ask me any questions about the story. I may even answer them.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Rising Tension**

"Do you have any idea how irresponsible your actions were?" Glynda asked pacing around Ozpin's office "You not only joined up with a known terrorist organization, you aligned yourself with a dangerous criminal just to get information! You put hundreds of people at risk with your actions not to mention-"

"First of all... I didn't place anyone but myself in danger through my actions, the job was at the docks at night. No one was working at that hour, and secondly I managed to stop Torchwick and the White Fang from stealing an extremely large shipment of dust" Slade explained with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What about Ms. Belladonna and Mr. Wukong? What about Ms. Rose? Wouldn't you say you placed them in danger through your actions? They were only in the area because they were looking for you"

"That's why I attempted to contact Professor Ozpin instead of doing anything myself, that changed when they destroyed my scroll" Slade answered holding up the broken device "Perhaps you would've preferred if I attempted to contact you on one of their devices and gotten myself killed?" he added with a knowing look.

"Of course not-"

"Then perhaps stop lecturing me on my irresponsibility and focus on my resourcefulness. Four students stopped Torchwick and the White Fang without hardly any combat training here at Beacon. I'd be willing to bet this isn't the first time this school has had some extraordinarily talented individuals"

"That's-"

"Glynda" Ozpin finally spoke from his desk behind her, she stopped and turned to look at him annoyed with a huff.

"Do as you will"

"Slade Stroud... tell me again what happened tonight at the docks" Ozpin ordered sternly, causing him to sigh exasperatedly.

"I heard about a large shipment of dust from the Schnee dust company coming in by boat from one of the dockworkers-"

"They just told you about shipment without any qualms about their job security?"

"Not exactly, I overheard him talking about it to a detective who had been investigating a dust shop robbery" Ozpin looked to Glynda who nodded to him in acknowledgement.

"Go on"

"I figured whoever was behind the dust store robberies would want in on the action at the dock. So I figured I would track down the White Fang and find out if they were involved. I found them in the southern quadrant of town, more than likely cleared out by now. That's when I overheard one of them talking about Torchwick, I decided to give you a call only to have it shot from my hand by one of them" he explained showing off his broken scroll once more.

"What happened next?"

"That's when things got dicey, I either had to fight my way out of the situation and cause them to scatter before we could learn anything more about their operations, or play along and get in on their side to find information about why they want so much dust. Using my reputation as a mercenary got me in far enough to speak to Torchwick himself, he didn't seem like he believed my story completely but allowed me to come along on the dock raid"

"I take it this is when Ms. Belladonna stepped in and compromised your identity" Ozpin concluded.

"Something like that, I had a choice of fighting against my friend and teammate or turning on Torchwick and blowing my cover. Thankfully, Blake attacked me before I had the choice and was able to keep my cover going... That is until Ruby came into the picture"

"Ms. Rose was attacked by Mr. Torchwick, correct?"

"Yes, sir. That left me with few options, none of them particularly good options. So I made a judgement call and turned on Torchwick before anything worse happened. Despite this decision someone else appeared to save the day" Slade explained morosely.

"You believe you could've learned more had you kept your cover intact?"

"At the very least I would've liked to capture Torchwick. Instead Penny attacked me thinking me one of his men"

"Penny?"

"Yes, we met her yesterday. She said something about fighting in the upcoming tournament. I must admit I am looking forward to it, she fought unbelievably well"

Ozpin and Glynda shared a look of concern before turning back to Slade "What happened to Penny?"

"She disappeared shortly after Yang and Weiss showed up" he answered somewhat embarrassed.

"Not a lot gets by you unseen, Mr. Stroud. How could she disappear without you knowing?" Glynda asked suspiciously.

"I'd like to know that as much as you would I'm sure"

"What's your take on the situation?"

"I think whatever they're stockpiling dust for isn't good for anyone. The White Fang isn't known for it's efforts against the Grimm after all"

"You believe they are planning some sort of attack?"

"I believe I need more information before making that assumption. But if I had to guess, I would say they're planning an attack or building an army"

"How do we know you aren't working with Torchwick?" Ozpin asked.

"Blake and Sun would be dead right now if I was" he answered.

Ozpin sighed with a small shake of his head "In the future would you please be more cautious in your investigations? I would like you to survive long enough to graduate from Beacon before you get yourself killed"

"I'll be sure to do that" he chuckled.

"You're dismissed" Ozpin said with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you, Professor" Slade smiled brightly before walking into the elevator and leaving.

"Professor... You can't keep protecting him from punishment. He needs to know his actions have consequences" Glynda sighed.

"Slade knows that more than you think he does, he simply makes these decisions from experience and instinct more than actually thinking through the consequences"

"What do you mean?"

"He's survived the past five years on his own in the world with no knowledge of anything but how to fight. Using this knowledge got him into criminal organizations easily, he used this to capture key figures in said organizations and dismantle crime around Remnant. Most figured he was a bounty hunter after that point and wouldn't let him near, everyone except the White Fang. The White Fang was the only organization that didn't care to learn his affiliations as they didn't work with humans. Until now that is..."

"But now they know he isn't on their side"

"Precisely... If I hadn't brought him to this school to become a huntsman, he may very well have ended up dead in the following weeks. Word is he retired or got out of the business. Torchwick however was smart enough to know that wasn't the case, I suspect that's how he's survived as long as he has"

"Then why does he make these rash decisions if he knows they could cost him his life?"

"Because it's his life to lose... at least it used to be. Now he has friends to look out for, I imagine he doesn't plan on leaving them so soon" Ozpin answered turning back to her with a warm smile.

"Seems to me, you have plans for the boy"

"He's the most talented Huntsman I have ever seen in all my years of training. He's able to keep up with me at his age and hasn't even unlocked his semblance yet. Mr. Stroud was meant for great things Glynda, we just have to help him decide if those great things will be for us or our enemy"

"You think he'd turn against us?" Glynda asked surprised.

"I think a man is capable of anything given the chance. If someone he cared for died tomorrow, who knows what he'd do. It could fortify his determination to do good, or it could break it"

"What would you have me do?" Glynda asked concerned. Ozpin stared out his office window into the dark night silently, he sighed lightly before turning back to him.

"She should prove a fine test" he answered handing her his scroll. Glynda looked shocked at his choice.

"Are you sure, sir? She's a-"

"I am"

"Understood sir" Glynda bowed slightly before walking out. Ozpin sat down at his desk once more thinking about what he had been told about the White Fang and Roman Torchwick.

"This is going to be a long year"

* * *

"How'd the meeting go?" Ruby asked concerned as he entered the dorm room to find all of team RWBY waiting up for him.

"About as you'd expect" he answered with a slight chuckle.

"Professor Goodwitch freaked out and Ozpin let you off without penalty?" Yang asked knowingly.

"Pretty much"

"How is it that you keep doing things that anyone would get expelled for and not getting punished at all?" Weiss asked annoyed.

"Would you prefer that he did?" Blake asked confused.

"Of course not! I just know that standard wouldn't get extended to any of us! It's probably because Ozpin adopted you" she concluded.

"Possibly, but I'm not going to assume I know anything about Ozpin. Every time I think I've figured him out, it turns out he's got more secrets to uncover"

"None of that matters right now, the important thing is Slade is alright and no one was hurt" Ruby said effectively diffusing the potential argument.

"She's right" Yang agreed "Everyone is okay so we should just drop it-"

"Just one more thing" Weiss interrupted.

"Here we go" Blake sighed as Ruby and Yang groaned.

"Next time you decide to do something crazy, you'll come to us instead of doing it all on your own" Weiss pleaded surprising the group, Slade smiled warmly at her in response.

"Yes, ma'am"

"That goes for everyone on the team, myself included" Weiss added causing the group to laugh in response.

"Yes, Ice Queen" Yang answered playfully with her head hanging dejectedly.

"Stop calling me that! I'm not an Ice Queen!"

"I'm so glad to have started that" Slade laughed falling onto his bed as he did. Weiss huffed annoyed before letting a small smile form on her lips as she turned away from the group. Blake approached him a bit nervously as he was preparing to fall asleep.

"Something you want to talk about?" he asked cracking one eye open to look at her.

"Back at the docks when I took my bow off, it must've been quite the surprise to find out I'm a Faunus-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, sweetheart. I've known you were a Faunus since day one" he chuckled lightly at her shocked expression.

"How?"

"Your bow twitched involuntarily on multiple occasions when there wasn't any wind. That and your particular choice of lunch is usually some type of fish" he answered closing his eyes.

"Why didn't you ever say anything to me about it? You didn't tell anyone"

"Why would I? It's not like it changed anything about you to me, you weren't Faunus Blake to me or anything. You were still just Blake to me. Besides, I know someone trying to fit in when I see one, figured I would give you the chance to tell people yourself"

Blake remained silent for a while, cracking his eye open once more he saw her smiling at him "Thank you, Slade. Weiss was right about you"

"How do you mean?"

"She said earlier today, as much as she doesn't like to admit it, you're usually right" Blake turned back toward her bed with a wave "Goodnight"

"Goodnight, Blake" Slade called back, turning his head toward Weiss he noticed she was lying in bed pretending to be asleep, he chuckled lightly.

 _She's never been very good at hiding things from people_

"Slade" Ruby's voice squeaked catching his attention.

"Yes, Ruby? Everything alright?" he asked concerned by the sound of her voice. Ruby blushed furiously before answering.

"I just wanted to say thank you, for trying to protect me from Torchwick back on the docks. Also for helping Blake and Weiss reconcile their differences... I'm really glad you're alright, and staying on the team" she practically whispered turning her head away from him.

Slade laughed at her nervousness "Anytime, Ruby. You know I'm always here for you guys, being expelled wouldn't have changed that" Ruby nodded with a bright smile on her face as she continued to hide her blushing.

"Glad to hear it" she replied before dashing for her bed "Goodnight, Slade"

"Night, Ruby" Slade chuckled once more when he saw Yang wink at Ruby throwing her a thumbs up as she slid into her bed.

 _They really need to work on concealing their movements more_ he thought with a small shake of his head.

"Goodnight team!" Yang almost yelled causing everyone to groan lightly at her sheer volume.

* * *

Slade walked into class with Ruby and Yang being followed closely by Weiss, Blake and Jaune.

"Where's the rest of your team?" Yang asked looking at Jaune with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"Ren is with Nora in the infirmary, she had one too many pancakes this morning and is regretting it right now" he answered with a small laugh.

"What about Pyrrha?" Ruby asked.

"She left the dorm pretty early this morning, she left a note that she'd see us in class"

"Strange... what would Pyrrha need to do this early in the morning?" Weiss asked suspiciously.

"Hey guys!" Nora's voice came from in front of them as she waved toward them energetically.

"She doesn't seem to be regretting it that much" Slade laughed as they approached.

"Everyone take your seats" Glynda sternly instructed the moment she entered the room "We have something special planned for today's lesson"

"How special?" Yang asked with a mischievous grin elbowing Slade and Ruby in their shoulders.

"Stop being dirty!" Ruby yelled smacking her on the back of her head her own face flushing deep shade of red.

"Mr. Stroud would you please come into the ring" Glynda instructed with a small glare.

"C'mon Professor, I didn't even do anything this time"

"Do we have a problem, Mr. Stroud?" she asked her voice becoming menacing as her glare hardened. Slade gulped slightly nervous by her change in tone.

"N-no ma'am"

"Good, Ms. Nikos would you please step forward as well" she asked motioning for her to stand opposite Slade's intended position. Pyrrha and Slade stood opposite each other in the ring with Glynda standing between them.

"Now that you're both here, you will both be fighting against one another using any and all abilities you have. This is a no-holds-barred fight, I will not be stepping in until one of you gives up or is incapable of fighting" she explained.

"Professor Goodwitch, are you sure that is wise? One of us could be seriously hurt-" Pyrrha protested.

"This fight is to be an example as for what students can expect from the singles tournament matches. Neither of you shall be holding back in this fight, is that clear?" she continued ignoring Pyrrha.

"Yes, ma'am" they both responded in unison.

 _Somehow I knew she was going to try and punish me for the docks incident last night_ Slade sighed deeply.

"Good luck, Slade" Pyrrha offered with a good natured smile.

"May the best of we two win" he replied bowing slightly with a flourish of his hand.

Ruby sat nervously in the stands, her legs shaking slightly with worry. Yang placed her hand onto her thigh calming her instantly "He'll be fine, sis. Pyrrha may be a world renowned fighter, but she's too nice to hurt Slade that badly"

"I'm sure Slade will do fine, he's not your average huntsman after all. He practically wiped the floor with Cardin" Weiss added with a reassuring smile.

"Now... if you are both ready..." Glynda placed her hand above her head then quickly lowered it, extending it out between them "Begin!" she yelled jumping back quickly.

Pyrrha dropped onto one knee holding her rifle on her shield to keep it steady and fired several rounds, Slade used his gauntlets to deflect them with ease.

"Why does everyone always shoot at me?" he asked in a joking manner "Just once I would like to have a fight with someone and not have them shoot a gun at me"

"Like your fight with Cardin then?" Pyrrha asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

"I'd wipe the floor with Cardin everyday of the week if I was allowed" he replied causing Cardin to seethe in anger back in the stands, he decided to keep his mouth shut instead of getting himself into trouble again.

"Now that we've got these pleasantries out of the way" Slade removed his pistol from it's holster and fired at Pyrrha forcing her to block them with her shield "We can get down to business" Pyrrha threw her shield at him, causing him to roll under it to avoid being hit.

"You've lost" Pyrrha said as she appeared behind him ready to strike with her blade. Slade spun around catching her blade between his hands just before it struck him.

"I dislike being underestimated" his glare clear from beneath his sunglasses.

"Impressive" Pyrrha replied with an excited smile on her face. She looked out into the crowd noticing Professor Ozpin stood amongst the students.

"You cannot afford to be distracted!" Slade warned pulling her blade toward himself as he stepped to the side, stumbling her. Jumping into the air he slammed his leg down onto her shoulder pushing her into the floor. Pyrrha quickly recovered blocking another kick with her left forearm and jumping upward as he front flipped an axe kick. Dropping down toward him she pulled her arm back to stab him only to receive an uppercut to her chin throwing her back, she landed on her feet effortlessly.

 _She's much faster than I had anticipated, I'm going to have to adjust my attacks accordingly_

Slade leaped toward her sweeping his right leg for her own, she jumped into the air to avoid the attack. Leaping up toward her, Slade kicked for her abdomen missing his strike.

 _Wait a minute..._

Pyrrha landed on her feet only to duck under his leg striking for her head once more, he twisted with his strike axe kicking into the space she previously occupied as she jumped back away from his strike, Slade wore a confused expression upon his features.

 _She's too fast, I cannot land a single kick on her. Something isn't right... she wasn't able to dodge my first attack even with her speed. There's got to be something more to her fighting style than I originally thought_

"Your agility is impressive, and you have a unique style"

"Your style is too direct, almost obvious" she replied.

 _Guess I can change things up a bit then_

"Well then, why don't we step things up a bit" he charged toward her leaping into the air kicking for her face he missed by a fraction of an inch, he struck again for her legs forcing her to leap into the air once more. Appearing in front of her in the air, he aimed his strikes for her shoulders only to have them barely deflected by her. Pyrrha's face wore a shocked expression as she barely deflected his attacks.

 _He's faster than before, could it be he was holding back?_ she wondered pushing off his chest with her legs and sliding back on her heels as she touched the ground.

"Not too shabby" he said with a chuckle as he began removing the armor on his clothing "It's too bad for you, I've figured out your trick" he tossed his armor to the side of the ring, then did the same with his blade and handgun. Pyrrha charged toward him as he did trying to stop him, as he finished Slade caught her shield with his hands as she attempted to bash him with it. Pushing the shield to the right he punched her in the abdomen three times with great speed, then kicked her throwing Pyrrha onto her back.

"Looks like you can't control my movements anymore, guess I was right"

"You've figured out my semblance?" Pyrrha asked surprised.

"You're able to manipulate magnetism. That's why without my armor you aren't able to avoid my attacks as easily as before" he explained.

"Impressive, not many have been able to do that. Even still your attacks are too direct and easy to read. I don't need to be able to use my semblance with attacks like that" she swung her blade for his throat, forcing him to duck under it. Her blade came around from his right once more, Slade effortlessly dodged her fury of attacks countering with his own as she struck stumbling her lightly as she attacked.

 _Why can't I hit him!_ she growled in annoyance. Slade back handsprung under her blade then slammed his fists into her chest then spin kicked her with both his legs throwing her back, she slid on her heels to a stop.

 _He's faster than before, and I can't use my semblance to keep up with him now. Even still his attacks are fairly direct... I should be able to use that to my advantage_

Slade kicked for her head forcing her to lean back slightly out of the way of his strike, catching himself on his hands he swept for her legs pushing her back slightly, standing straight up he bent backwards under her blade as she struck for his head again. Leaning back up he punched for her chest again, she blocked with her shield then jumped back to avoid another kick, slamming her shield toward him. Slade punched with his left hand to her side and caught her shield with his right. Back handspringing away from a strike of her blade he caught himself on his hands and slammed his left foot into her chest throwing her back, then planted his right foot onto the floor launching himself into her shield knocking it from her hands with his elbow. Slade and Pyrrha continued to trade blows neither landing a hit on the other.

"How is he doing that?" Nora asked beside them.

"Doing what?" Blake asked confused.

"Keeping up with her" Ren answered "Pyrrha's never lost a match before, I've never seen another student who could keep up with her like he is right now"

"Really?" Ruby asked in shock.

"He's right. Pyrrha doesn't lose" Jaune added.

Pyrrha sliced for his head again making him lean back under the blade, before she was able to attack again he was back in his previous position striking for her head as well, she barely avoided it. Dropping forward onto his hands he began slamming his legs into her sword as she held it in place with both hands, she was sliding back from the force of his attacks.

 _His movements have become so unorthodox, but more than anything he's fast_

Pyrrha swept her leg toward his hands forcing him to leap back to his feat, she roared from the exertion and stabbed her blade wildly at him. Slade effortlessly avoided her attacks, leaning back under her final strike. Pyrrha noticed this and quickly swept behind him and struck her blade for his head.

 _There!_

Slade's head stopped just above her blade as his passed beneath it. Reaching his hand back, he grabbed her blade twisting her around from his hold on her. Pyrrha lifted her knee to attack him, Slade countered by punching her thigh, then blocked her kick with his own identical kick before her foot was more than an inch off the ground. Using his other leg he kicked for her legs forcing her to jump back away from him. Slade pursued her with his strikes forcing her to dodge as she attempted to back away. Kicking for his leg, her own was pushed by the sole of his foot then trapped between both of his legs. Pyrrha began to fall backwards because of this giving him the opening he was looking for, twisting around he slammed his fist into her chest throwing her into the wall behind her, Pyrrha's weapon dropped onto the floor next to him.

 _I can't read his movements at all, it's as if he changed his fighting style in the midst of battle_

"You are making this most enjoyable, I wasn't expecting you to put up this much of a fight" Pyrrha admitted standing back up "You've not only been able to keep up with me, but my aura is almost in the red, yet you haven't sustained any damage at all.

"We have similar fighting experience" Slade pointed out "The only difference between your experience and mine, is I was going up against adults trying to kill me. Not students trying to impress their friends and family"

"Fair enough. Now let's finish this" Pyrrha dropped into a defensive stance.

"Agreed" Slade smirked cracking his knuckles.

Pyrrha charged forward as he did punching for his face, Slade ducked under her arm slinging his arm around her neck from behind and slamming her into the ground. Pyrrha's aura dropped into the red zone.

"I believe that will be the match" Glynda announced "Excellent work, the both of you" she was barely able to conceal her surprise at the turnout of the match. Slade sheathed his blade and held his hand out to Pyrrha, she accepted and rose to her feet.

"You impressed me back there, I admit I wasn't expecting to lose"

"You certainly didn't make it easy for me, I'm just glad I was able to come out on top. Professor Goodwitch would've been too pleased with herself if I had lost" Pyrrha laughed in response.

"We wouldn't want that now would we?" she mocked.

"Way to go Slade!" Ruby yelled from the stand.

"Great job!" Yang agreed pumping her fist into the air.

"Way to lose!" Nora yelled to Pyrrha, who laughed at her childish antics.

"Nora, that's not very nice" Ren lectured.

Ozpin turned to leave without saying a word, Slade watched him with great interest as he left before returning his gaze to his team.

"I know I was reluctant at first, but I must say I am happy to have him on the team" Weiss admitted to the group.

"Maybe let us borrow him from time to time?" Jaune joked causing Nora to smack him in the back of the head. Ruby rushed over to them as they reentered the crowd of students, tackling Slade into a hug.

"I knew you could do it!" she yelled excitedly as he struggled to keep himself upright.

"Glad to hear it" he choked out. Ruby quickly let go rubbing the back of her head sheepishly as she flushed a deep red.

"Sorry, didn't mean to choke you"

Pyrrha watched their interaction with a small smile on her face, she approached the group while they continued talking leaving them to their privacy. Pyrrha leaned down beside Yang and whispered "Is there something going on between your sister and Slade?" she asked curiously.

"Ruby likes Slade and is too nervous to ask him out, like someone else I know" Yang answered giving her a knowing look between her and Jaune. Pyrrha blushed lightly and nodded her head.

"Maybe we should do something to get them together" she offered.

"We don't even know if Slade likes her, I hope he does but honestly he is hard to read sometimes"

"What're we whispering about?" Nora asked surprising the both of them.

"Nora!" Ren's voice yelled in a whisper "Stop eavesdropping on their conversation!"

"Okay" she sighed with a pout "Good luck getting them together" she said with her thumbs up enthusiastically.

"Looks like everyone knows now" Yang laughed quietly.

"Knows what?" Jaune asked confused.

"You'll understand when you're older" Yang joked patting him on the head. Pyrrha whispered into his ear causing his face to explode with shock.

"They what-" he almost yelled as Yang clamped her hand down over his mouth.

"Maybe keep a lid on it, genius" she suggested her eyes turning red. Jaune nodded emphatically fear showing in his eyes.

"What's with all the commotion?" Slade asked approaching with Ruby in tow.

"I-I was just so shocked that... Pyrrha lost" Jaune tried lying unconvincingly, causing Pyrrha and Yang to drop their heads into their hands.

"Jaune... you're not very good at lying. But if it's something you don't want me to know then I won't pry" Slade chuckled at their expressions. Ozpin stood in the doorway with Glynda watching their interactions with interest.

"Looks like he passed with flying colors" Ozpin said looking back to Glynda.

"Yes, Professor. He was much better than I expected him to be, I'm honestly surprised he could take her in a fight at all let alone without taking a single hit"

"He's much more talented than I originally thought... I'm worried about him"

"Worried, sir?"

"Someone as strong as him without a semblance could become exponentially more powerful with one. The only problem is unlocking it"

"You and I both know the best way to unlock a semblance is through combat or a particularly powerful emotional spike"

"I do... I'm hoping we can help him unlock it through the former and not the latter, I don't want him to have to experience something like he did with his mother again"

"An extreme emotional spike doesn't have to be anger or hatred, Professor. People have done it from being scared or excited and happy as well"

"But you know how much more likely it is for it to be from losing a loved one"

"Perhaps he'll unlock it naturally like Ms. Rose"

"He's a bit old to unlock it naturally... most students unlock their semblance through training with teachers at their respective combat schools. Beacon isn't a place to unlock semblances"

"What would you have me do?"

"Give me some time to think, I will have something for you soon"


	8. New Friends And Enemies

**Here's that second chapter I promised you! So what're you still doing reading this? Read the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: New Friends And Enemies**

In the Beacon Academy cafeteria, Team RWBY are sitting together as Slade reads from a small black book in his right hand, his left crossed under it. Yang slid into him from his left.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked curiously

"Reading" he answered as Yang catches a grape in her mouth.

"Lame"

Nora giggles as she continues to toss grapes at yang with her spoon. Yang catches the fruit with ease, giving Nora the thumbs up. Ruby, giving an enormous heave, slams a binder onto the table, catching everyone excluding Slade off guard. On the cover of the binder is written "Vytal Festival Activities, Property of Weiss Schnee". This has been hastily crossed out with a red marker pen, and with the same pen, a new title, "Best Day Ever Activities", has been written underneath. clearing her throat, She gestures to everyone at the table.

 _"_ Sisters... friends... Weiss"

"Hey!" Weiss yelled in an offended tone.

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream" she continued ignoring Weiss.

"This ought to be good" Yang chuckles as she catches another berry in her mouth.

"A dream that one day, the five of us will come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... ever!"

"Did you steal my binder?" Weiss asked pointing to the binder on the table. Ruby makes "peace" signs with both hands.

"I am not a crook" Slade raised his eyebrow questioningly at her his eyes never leaving the book in front of him.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.

"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!" She answers pointing her finger at Blake.

"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang! Eh? Guys? Am I right?" Yang tried hoping for any sign of appreciation. An apple is tossed at yang and hits her in the face. She glares at Nora.

 **"** Boooooooooooooooo!" Nora yelled.

"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But, classes start back up tomorrow! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today"

"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store" Weiss replied cautiously. Yang, still glaring, picks up an apple and tosses it across the room. "Hey!" yelled a random student as he was hit while Nora can be heard giggling.

"I don't know. I think I might sit this one out"

"Sit out or not, I think that however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team!" Weiss said earning a smile from Ruby.

"I got it!" Nora yelled.

"I for one think that-" Weiss is interrupted by a pie landing on her face. Nora is shown to be the one who threw the pie, she sits down and points at Ren who has his head in his palm. Pyrrha's hand is over her mouth and Jaune simply sits staring wide-eyed while covering his ear with his palm.

* * *

Ozpin and Glynda walked toward the cafeteria the later of which was looking over her notes she had been handed only moments before.

"Are you sure this is wise, Professor? I don't think unlocking his semblance is something we should be banking everything on-"

"He's going to have to learn how to use it sooner or later, Glynda. Better he learn it here with the rest of his classmates than learning in the midst of battle"

"I agree, but forcing him to participate in the tournament isn't the best idea I've ever heard"

"I'm not forcing him to participate, he's already agreed to my proposition"

"He has?" she asked surprised.

"He came to my office recently and asked if there was any way he could fight during the tournament without waiting for the final rounds. I decided that he could, but he would have to fight a four man team on his own and then a two man team before moving to his single match. It's the only fair way to run the tournament anyway"

"Fair isn't the word I would use to describe it" she sighed as they opened the doors to the cafeteria, they watched as a whirlwind of food and tables came soaring through the cafeteria with Ruby being the source trapping team JNPR to the wall behind her. Slade appeared to be the only one not partaking in the food fight continuing to read the book in his hand, he moved his head slightly several times to avoid food items flying in his direction. Glynda growls as she reorganizes the room with her semblance.

"Children, please...Do not play with your food!" she ordered pressing her glasses up onto her face. Nora burps aloud as both Teams JNPR and RWBY try and fail to compose themselves as a screaming Yang then crashes from the ceiling into one of the tables, Slade chuckles lightly at the scene in front of him. Glynda grumbles, Ozpin approaches and places a hand on her shoulder.

"Let it go"

"They're supposed to be the defenders of the world" she sighed.

"And they will be, but right now they're still children. So why not let them play the part?" he asked walking away from her "After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever" Glynda sighs relenting.

"Mr. Stroud" she addressed gaining his attention.

"What can I do for you Professor Goodwitch?" he asked without turning to face her.

"Your application for the tournament has been finalized" she answered handing him a slip of paper, his attention briefly left the book taking the slip into his hand.

"I can fight in all the matches now?"

"Correct, although I must confess I don't think you'll have any advantage over a four man team on your own, you might as well be prepared to lose"

"Your concern is touching but hardly necessary, it won't be the first time I've face long odds"

"Maybe against thieves and bandits, but you will be facing trained huntsman and huntresses from the other schools and they may not all be first years"

"Ozpin clearly either doesn't have as much information as he thinks he does or hasn't shared it with you if you honestly think that's true" he chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't you let me worry about my match and you just worry about training us in class for the tournament" Glynda stared hard at him before relenting, she turned to leave.

"I expect you to be on time tomorrow, Mr. Stroud"

"See you then" he chuckled with a half wave as his friends finished washing the food off themselves.

"What was that about?" Jaune asked curiously. Slade held up the paper slip in his hand.

"I can fight in the tournament"

"Couldn't you do that already?" Blake asked confused.

"They were only going to let me fight in the singles match, I argued that it wouldn't be fair to put me in the top tier when the other teams had to earn their place there. Ozpin agreed and allowed me to fight in the earlier matches"

"You'll be fighting with us in the first match then?" Yang asked hopeful.

"No, I will be fighting a full team on my own"

"How are you expected to win that?" Ren asked not understanding the logic behind that.

"Trust me, I can win that match. Doesn't mean I will, but I certainly have the ability"

"If anyone could win a match against a whole team it would be you" Pyrrha agreed "I can vouch for your ability first hand"

"Either way I hope you have fun!" Ruby cheered pumping her fist into the air while wiping her face clean with a napkin.

"Thank you, Ruby" he chuckled at her childishness.

* * *

"Hmmmmm... All right... All right!" Ruby pointed at Yang "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" Yang thrust her elbow down as she balls her fist

"Bring it on!"

"I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet! She slaps her card down on the table. Yang feigns a look of shock "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!" Makes noises like airplanes flying and bombing as she makes a bird with her hands. Yang Feigning indignance as she points at Ruby

"You fiend!"

Ruby is now ducked at one end of the table "And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time is only one turn" Ruby peaks her head up. She gives a look of surprise as, Yang laughed arrogantly Yang raises a card

"Pretty sneaky, sis, but you just activated my trap card!" Yang shows the card to Ruby who is visibly disturbed. "Giant Nevermore!" She slams the card down on the table "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!"

Ruby points at Yang "But if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take" The two glare at each other. Yang is heard shouting triumphantly.

"Nooooo! My fearless soldiers!"

"Eh, most of them were probably androids"

"Goodbye my friends, you will be avenged"

"Not until I draw my rewards! Which are double this round thanks to the Mistral Trade Route!"

"Bah!"

"Oh, and what's this? The Smugglers of Wind Path?"

"Bah! Bah, I say!"

"I say, it looks like I'm taking two cards in my hand!"

"Have you no heart?" Ruby collapses on the table, groaning "Nooo!"

"Why don't you just wait until they're done and try to win next time?" Slade asked chuckling as he closed his book and placed it in his coat pocket.

"Do you think this is a game?!" Ruby shot back in disbelief "the people of Atlas were counting on me and I failed!" Slade's eyebrow cocked not understanding.

"Well, Weiss, it's your turn"

"I have... absolutely no idea what's going on" Yang slides up beside her and puts her hand on her shoulder.

"Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo which means that all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus"

"That sounds dumb" Yang starts looking through Weiss' cards.

"See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge... Oh, oh! She pulls up a card to show Weiss Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discarded Air Fleet—"

"Nooo!" Ruby yelled crying.

"-and put it in your hand!"

"Okay?"

"And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance against Natural-based hazards, you can use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" Yang points a finger at Weiss "Just know that I will not forget this declaration of war" She pulls away and returns to her seat.

"And that means..." Weiss asked for clarification.

"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!"

"Y-yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms-!" she ranted while laughing psychotically overjoyed.

"Trap card" Yang says holding up her card.

"Huh?"

Yang shuffles the pieces on the board, Weiss' pieces disappearing in a puff of smoke "Your armies have been destroyed"

Weiss slumps in her chair, crying and whining "I hate this game of emotions we play" Ruby hops into Weiss' lap.

"Stay strong, Weiss! We'll make it through this together!"

"Shut up! Don't touch me!" she cries while hugging her back. Yang put her arms up behind her head

"Alright Blake, you're up!"

"Oh, um, sorry, what am I doing?"

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the Kingdoms of Remnant!"

"Right"

"Hey! Can I play?" Jaune asked approaching.

"Sorry Jaune, we've already got 4 people" Ruby replied.

"Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt that you possess" Weiss added.

"Uhh, you attacked your own naval fleet 2 turns ago" Slade pointed out, Weiss makes an annoyed sound.

"Bring it on, Ice Queen! I'll have you know that I have been told that I am a natural born leader!"

"By who? Your mother?"

"A-and Pyrrha!"

"Hello again!" she waved.

 **"** Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!" Jaune begged with both hands clasped together.

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!"

"Why not you've trusted me with much more important stuff, like you told us that Blake is secretly a F-" Jaune protested as Pyrrha moved from the table and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Fun loving person! Whom we all admire and respect" she finished for him. Jaune earned a death glare from Blake.

"Right... that... Ladies, enjoy your battle" Jaune bowed as he left.

"Sup losers?" Sun asked approaching them with an unknown friend.

"Hey, Sun" Ruby greeted, Slade nodded his head acknowledging his presence.

"Ruby, Yang, Blake, Slade, Ice-Queen" he greeted accordingly.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that!?" Weiss asked.

"It's your sunny disposition" Slade chuckled.

"I never got the chance to introduce you to my old friend" Sun explained gesturing to the blue haired man next to him.

"Aren't libraries for reading?" Neptune asked.

"Thank you!" Ren agreed.

"Pancakes!" Nora yelled waking up from their voices.

"Don't be a nerd-"

"Gegege... Intellectual, thank you... I'm Neptune" he introduced.

"Where are you from?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Haven, I don't believe I got your name Snow-Angel"

"I'm Weiss" she answered with a light blush.

"Oh come on!" Jaune groaned having used that same line previously.

"Didn't take you for the board playing type" Sun pointed out to Blake.

"Actually I think I'm done playing" she announced as she got up to leave. Yang and Ruby gave him a sympathetic look.

"Women" Nora shrugged.

 _Something is clearly bothering her, we should ask her about it later_

* * *

Blake attempted to leave the dorm as her team entered, Slade turned to her just before she left but was interrupted by Weiss.

"Stop" she demanded "Lately you've quiet, antisocial and moody"

"Uh... have you met Blake?" Yang asked.

"Which I get is kind of your thing, but you've been doing it more than usual. Quite frankly it's unacceptable, you made a promise to me and all of us that you would let us know if something was wrong" Weiss finished before jumping from her place onto the side of a chair "So, Blake Belladonna, what is wrong?" she asked balancing herself on the chair pointing directly at her. Noticing the awkwardness she quickly placed the chair back.

"I just... I don't understand how everyone can be so calm" Blake answered.

"You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby asked.

"Torchwick, The White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and nobody is doing anything about it!"

"Ozpin told us not to worry, between the police and the huntsman. I'm sure they can handle it" Yang reassured.

"Well I'm not! They don't know The White Fang like I do" Slade watched silently as they debated between them.

 _It's obvious something bigger than we know is going on with Torchwick and the White Fang. They wouldn't work with someone like him unless someone they trusted was in charge of Torchwick... that has to be it, Roman Torchwick isn't the man in charge but instead just a proxy agent for someone wanting to remain hidden from the public_

"We're not ready!" Weiss insisted.

"We may never be ready! Our enemies aren't just going to wait around for graduation, they're out there planning their next move and none of us know what it is but it's coming, whether we're ready... or not" Blake finished.

"Slade?" Ruby asked looking towards him.

"Hmm?"

"You've been unusually quiet, what're you thinking?" she asked concerned.

"None of us are ready to fight against an organization like the White Fang on our own, Torchwick is stronger than your average crook as well"

"We need to do something! If we just wait around until people think we're ready, it might be too late-"

"Which is exactly why I think we don't have a choice at the moment. Someone has to figure out what's going on between them" Slade finished.

"Wait... You agree with me?" Blake asked confused.

"You said it yourself, Torchwick and the White Fang wouldn't work together because of their mutual hatred of the other. That means someone they trust must be in charge of him"

"You think there is someone besides Torchwick working with the White Fang? How can you be sure" Yang asked.

"When I infiltrated the Fang, Torchwick made it sound like we needed the dust for someone else's plan. Something big"

"All in favor of being the youngest huntresses and huntsman to bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale... say I"

"Yes! I love it when your feisty" Yang agreed pointing to Blake.

"Well... I suppose it could be fun" Weiss relented.

"None of you said I" Ruby pouted.

"Alright then... we're in this together" Blake smiled.

"Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby cheered.

"If we're going to-" Slade began but was interrupted by Ruby gasping "I left my board game in the library!"

"We're doomed" Weiss sighed shaking her head.

"I'll be right back!" she yelled running into the hallway.

"We're so doomed aren't we?" Weiss asked.

"No, in fact I think Ruby's probably the best equipped to handle being in charge of a job like this-" Slade explained, he stopped when he heard voices in the hallway. Stepping out into the hall he watched three people walk by as Ruby called out "Welcome to Beacon!" one of them was a girl with short mint green hair stopping above her shoulders and red eyes along with a dark complexion. She was accompanied by a pale man with dark silver hair that stuck out in all directions in the front and slicked down in the back, matching his gray eyes. The third was a pale woman with raven black hair and amber eyes that practically glowed as she walked. This woman looked at Slade for a moment offering a small wave as she did with a kind smile. Slade knew the smile was fake the moment he saw it but was more concerned with the dark presence he suddenly felt, it was so strong it made him actually want to run away from this woman, he had never felt such a powerful dread in the air itself before. This quickly dissipated as she exited the hall.

 _This isn't good. If she's here, something big must be going on. I need to keep an eye on them_

* * *

"I thought that class would never end" Blake sighed as she finished getting dressed.

"Today's the day! The investigation begins!" Ruby cheered excitedly jumping off her bed.

"I'm glad to see we're taking things so seriously" Weiss sighed.

"Hey, we've got a plan. That's moderately serious"

"Right... everyone remember their roles?" Ruby asked.

"Are you ladies done trussing your hair?" Slade asked knocking outside the door.

"You can come back in now!" Ruby yelled.

"You and me will be checking Schnee records to see for inconsistencies and other robberies. Seeing as I'm a part of the family, it shouldn't be a problem" Weiss explained pointing to Ruby.

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members, if I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning" Blake explained.

"I have an old friend on the shady side of town who seems to know some of everything going on in Vale, getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard" Yang finished.

"What am I doing then?" Slade asked curiously.

"You can come with me" Yang offered "Somehow I don't think the White Fang will take kindly to you showing up to one of their meetings" she laughed.

"Sounds good to me"

"Right, then let's do this!" Ruby cheered.

"Yeah!" Sun yelled hanging outside the window by his tail.

"Sun!" Blake yelled as she and the other girls jumped startled, Slade shook his head in his hand.

"We're doomed" he sighed.

* * *

"You think Sun and Blake will be okay in the meeting? They may be Faunus but they're also known from the attack on the docks" Slade asked as he held onto Yang's waist on the back of her bike.

"I'm sure they will be fine, if they run into trouble they can always just call us"

"I suppose that's true"

"Here we are" she said as the bike slid to a stop in front of the building she nodded towards.

"Let's get to it then" he stepped off her bike placing his hood up. Yang's hand on his shoulder stopped him before he could continue.

"Before we go in there I want to ask you something"

"Is it important?" he asked turning to her.

"I feel it is... what do you think of my sister?" she asked watching his eyes for any reaction, Slade's eyebrow raised in confusion.

"What do you mean? Ruby and I are friends just like you and I are right?" he asked confused "Has Ruby said something?" he asked slightly concerned.

"If she did? What would you say?" she pressed.

"I'd be confused to what I did to cause her to not want me around anymore" he answered. Yang's eyes bulged in shock.

"No! That's not what I meant!" she said waving her hands in front of her face frantically blushing from embarrassment.

"I'm not sure I understand"

"I was asking you-" she stopped sighing "Nevermind we can talk about this later" she answered leading him into the building. Slade looked after her with a confused expression, he shrugged it off and followed behind her placing his sunglasses and mask over his face as they entered the building.

"Hurry, close the door! she's coming!" He and another Henchman proceed to roll the doors shut and keep them closed with their bodies.

"What are you two idiots doing?!" Junior asked stepping out from behind the bar.

The Henchmen shout incoherently until an explosion knocks them to the ground and forces the doors open, allowing a familiar face to walk in through the smoke.

"Guess who's back!"

Yang continues to smile and pose as eight guns are pointed in her face with an equal number of angry Henchmen behind them. Though this doesn't faze her, she stops and glares at the recording studio where the track is messing up until the frightened bear-headed DJ takes the needle off the record and retreats back under the table.

"Yeah, so could you define "friend" for me?" Slade asked his arms crossed over his chest staring down at the men with their guns trained on her.

"Stop! Stop! Nobody shoot!" yelled Junior as he pushed past his men "Blondie... you're here... why?" he asked nervously fixing his tie.

"You still owe me a drink" Yang answered grabbing him by his arm and leading him through his own men. Slade chuckled at the sight in front of him shaking his head at the scene. Looking to his left he saw two women glaring at him from the side.

"Keep looking at me like that and you're liable to get your ass kicked" he warned slightly unsheathing his blade for emphasis, the two girls scoffed turning away from him they sauntered off toward the back of the room. Slade sheathed his blade following behind Yang.

"I don't know!" Junior yelled frustrated.

"How can you not know?" Yang asked matching his tone.

"I haven't talked to him! I haven't even seen him since the night you first came in here. I gave him my men, he paid up front, then none of them ever came back"

"Did he say what he wanted your men for?" Slade asked lowering his glasses to meet Junior's eyes.

"Who is this guy?" Junior asked confused.

"Don't worry about him, worry about me if I don't find out what I want!" Yang said smacking her fist onto the bar for emphasis.

"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with em. Which is something I can relate to!" he yelled the last part towards his own men causing them to walk away grumbling.

"Come on, Slade" Yang said turning to leave.

"You never answered my question" Slade said never moving from his position.

"There's nothing more we can find out here" Yang said urging him to follow.

"Do I have to ask again?" he said without moving his eyes from Junior.

"You heard Blondie you're leaving-"

Slade grabbed him by his tie and slammed his head down on the bar pointing his pistol at the man next to him before he could grab his own gun "Keep those hands where I can see them" he lifted Junior's head up by his hair glaring at him darkly "I'm going to give you five seconds to answer my question before I start getting angry... One-"

"Okay, okay! He wanted them to rob some dust shop here in town. I assume it went well enough since he's still out there and the dust shop was bled dry" he answered.

"What was the name of the shop?"

"I don't know I-"

"Two... Three..."

"From Dust Til Dawn!" he yelled out frantically.

"That's the same shop Ruby was in when she ran into Torchwick" Yang pointed out.

"Which means we know what happened to his men. Nothing left for us here" Slade concluded releasing Junior "Thank you for your cooperation"

"Blondie, don't ever bring him back here. I can see why you two are friends" Junior sighed nursing his head.

"Sounds like we found out everything we can" Yang concluded with a deep sigh as they both exited the building.

"Too bad we already knew everything we just heard" he noted removing his hood and mask.

"Hopefully the others are having better luck" she agreed getting onto her bike. Both of their scrolls chimed as he climbed on board as well.

"Everyone! If you can hear me we need backup-" Blake yelled frantically.

"Help!" Sun screamed "Big robot, and it's big, really big! That Torchwick guy is in it, but, like, it didn't eat him; he's like, controlling it somehow" Sun explained.

"Where are you guys?" Yang asked.

"Hurry!" they both heard being yelled behind them as a giant robot chased after Sun and Blake down the road.

"I think that was them" Slade pointed out.

"Yeah, I got it" she replied quickly spinning the bike around, causing Slade to almost fall off the back. Yang brings them closely behind the mech-suit as it throws cars out of the its way chasing after Blake and Sun on the highway.

"We've gotta slow it down!" Yang yelled.

"I'm on it" Slade said just as Neptune was thrown off into Sun throwing them both over the side of the highway. Roman notices them on his sensors and throws a multitude of cars behind him as he continues to chase after Blake.

"Hold on!" Yang yelled.

Yang swerves leaning her bike to the side to avoid the oncoming vehicles, Slade leans back under a car flipping overhead then leans to the right stopping above the road as another car rolled toward them. The bike returned to it's natural posture along with Slade as they finished avoiding the cars. Slade stood on the back of the bike jumping off and stabbing his blade into the hole Neptune's had made moments prior.

"I'm in position!" Weiss yelled jumping down from an overpass and standing in front of the Paladin mech-suit. She created a sheet of ice on the road knocking the suit over the edge the highway and onto the ground, Slade was thrown from it's back onto the highway. Standing up he ran to the edge and watched briefly as RWBY fought Torchwick.

Just before he was able to jump down he was kicked in the chest by pale girl with her hair pink on the right and brown on the left with streaks of white throughout the pink side, her right eye is pink and her left is brown matching her hair. She held a closed umbrella in her hand as she patiently waited for Slade to attack her.

"Who're you? Are you working with Torchwick?" Slade asked standing up, he slowly walked toward her. She gave no response to his question only smiling wider than before.

"Hello? I'm talking to you-" he said before being smacked by her umbrella as he cam closer stumbling him back a few steps. She opened her umbrella and slung it over her shoulder with a confident smirk.

"Alright... if that's how you want to play it" Slade charged forward, he punched for her face then uppercut with his opposite hand following up with a second punch from his left hand toward her shoulder then kicked for her abdomen as she effortlessly dodge ever strike. Slade continued to punch for her face and shoulders as she ducked under or shifted her way around the attacks easily, he dropped onto one knee and spun around for her abdomen with the back of his fist, she stepped back and removed her umbrella from her shoulder, closing it.

She held it downward as Slade pushed off the ground with his legs and kicked for her face meeting the umbrella instead. Slade punched for her abdomen again and kicked for the side of her head, she easily blocked both attacks with the umbrella spinning around she kicked for Slade's left side. He used his gauntlet to block the kick but dropped onto his back from the force of her strike.

 _What the hell was that?_

The girl flipped over slamming her leg down onto the floor as he flipped himself over her leg propping himself up with one hand and pushed off away from her. Charging her again his fist was caught in her arm, she locked it in place forcing it down then kicked her left leg up for his face. Slade blocked with his free arm then sidestepped her second kick for his abdomen as she released his arm. She quickly flipped backwards behind him as he turned in her direction. Slade punched her open umbrella as she blocked with it, closing it she swung for his chest moving him back a step to avoid it.

Punching for her head, she dropped down onto one knee turning away from him as she pushed his fist up with the closed umbrella and thrust the handle backward. Slade caught the handle with one hand and blocked the second strike for his face with the tip of it then jumped back to avoid her swing as she stood up and spun around. She opened the umbrella as he punched again knocking his fist up and thrusting it toward his chest, he placed his right hand in front of him stopping it before he was hit. Slade removed the blade from his sheathe as it sat in front of him and aimed his strike for her legs. The girl closed her umbrella and flipped backwards over the blade and back handsprung her way to the edge of the overpass, she sat upon the ledge opening her umbrella as she slung it over her shoulder and crossed her leg over the other her umbrella slowly spun over her shoulder as she waited.

 _She's incredibly flexible and not to mention fast. I don't know how she's doing this but she's got a lot more strength in those legs than her arms_

Slade walked toward her and drew his pistol at the last moment aiming it at her, the umbrella came over her head as she leaned back deflecting the bullet and knocking the weapon from his hand, she spun around on her back on the ledge of the highway then slammed her leg into his blade hilt as he blocked the strike, pushing him back. The girl flipped forward as she continued to kick making him move to avoid her legs consistently. Jumping back to his pistol he picked it up and changed his weapons into a rifle then fired it at her dropping onto one knee. She lifted her right leg up as she blocked the blast with her umbrella yet again, the flames from the blast funneling around it.

Slade slashed his blade into her umbrella pushing her back a few feet as she spun around. She struck for his face and then chest as he blocked the closed umbrella's strikes with his blade, smirking confidently she kicked her leg up again to flip backwards, Slade grabbed her leg with both hands and spun her around releasing her as he did, she easily flipped over onto her feet as she was thrown. The girl charged forward grabbing Slade and slinging herself around him spinning on his head before firmly clasping her hands on his left arm and planting her feet on his chest, she flipped backwards throwing him up to the overpass above them. Slade flipped over planting his feet onto the bottom of the overpass and pushing off toward her he struck with his blade for her back, She shattered into glass as he hit her. Slade turned just in time to block a blade she removed from the handle of her umbrella with his own blade kicking her in the chest as he blocked throwing her backwards.

"You're pretty strong, though I must say most of it is through your legs and that damned umbrella of yours" he said panting tiredly.

The girl simply bowed forward with a confident grin on her face.

"I'm not falling for that again" he said firing his pistol at her shattering her into glass. Slade quickly looked around for her prepared to defend himself again, he suddenly heard a loud crash beneath him, running toward the edge of the highway to find Roman Torchwick standing up from the wreckage of the paladin. Yang fired a shotgun shell from her gauntlet, suddenly the girl from before blocked the blast with her umbrella.

"Neo if you will" Roman said stepping behind her.

 _So that's her name_

Yang charged forward with rage attacking for the girl.

"Yang, wait!" Slade attempted to warn as she smashed her fist into Neo shattering her and Roman to glass. Suddenly a bullhead flew overhead revealing them both to be inside.

"Looks like he's got a new henchman" Yang sighed.

"One really annoying henchman" Slade agreed.

"I guess you could say she made our plans... fall apart" Weiss offered with a small laugh.

"No... just no" Blake said turning away.

"What? But you do it" she said turning to Yang.

"There's a time and a place"

"Was this not it?"

"No... it just wasn't very good"

"Well at least I'm trying" Weiss protested following behind Yang and Blake.

"Where're Sun and Neptune?" Ruby asked confused.

"Last I saw them they were falling over the side of the freeway" Slade answered.

"Oh, I hope they're okay. Where were you now that I think about it?" she asked curiously.

"Up there fighting Neo" he answered "She stopped me from helping you all and forced me into a fight. She's stronger than she looks, even without the illusions she has, though I suppose it's not quite illusions but something else entirely"

"Whatever it was, she helped Torchwick escape and kept you held up longer than you should've been. I'd say she's tough enough to worry about in the future" Ruby agreed.

"Yeah... she never said a word our whole battle. Makes me wonder if she just was taunting me or if she's mute"


	9. Dreams And Nightmares

**Finally, I present you with the chapter you've all been waiting for! Though I won't tell you why you've been waiting for it just yet, you'll just have to read it for yourselves!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Eight: Dreams And Nightmares**

Slade watched the fight between Mercury and Pyrrha with great interest, ever strike, every move that he made. Mercury's attacks were all being redirected by Pyrrha's semblance, she used it subtly as to avoid everyone from seeing it blatantly.

"You're friend is pretty good" Ruby said kind heartedly to Emerald who smiled back at her with a fake smile before quickly turning back around.

"I forfeit" Mercury said as Pyrrha charged at him, causing her to stumble as she stopped herself from hurting him.

"You... don't even want to try?" she asked in shock.

"What's the point? You're a world-renowned fighter. We're obviously leagues apart" he shrugged.

"In that case... Pyrrha Nikos is the victor of the match... again" Glynda announced.

 _That certainly doesn't match the attitude he started the match with_

"Next time, you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent" Glynda chastised. Slade shook his head in disappointment at her statement.

"I'll be sure to do that" Mercury replied walking away.

"Where did you say you guys were from?" Slade asked Emerald.

"Haven" Emerald answered without looking at him.

"Really?" he asked again looking at her closely as she finally turned to look at him.

"Yes. Do you not believe me?" she asked feigning surprise.

"I think you should tell your friend Cinder to leave before she hurts herself" he warned.

"I'll... be sure to tell her what you've said" she said in genuine shock.

"Good, I would hate for her to think she can get away with anything here while I'm watching"

"Slade!" Yang called from behind him as the classroom was emptying "What's taking you so long!" she yelled waving her hand in his direction.

"We have places to be!" Weiss added her hands on her hips.

"Think on what I have said before doing anything brash" he said standing and walking over to them "Sorry, I must've been daydreaming" he sheepishly said rubbing the nape of his neck.

"That's okay, you excited for the dance this weekend?" Yang asked as the exited.

"Dance? What dance?" he asked confused.

"The one this weekend! I told you about it this morning!" Weiss yelled exasperatedly.

"I don't recall you telling me anything this morning" he replied.

"That's probably because you fell back asleep as she droned on and on about the boring stuff about the dance" Ruby offered with a laugh at Weiss's pout.

"Hey, Blake!" Sun yelled running over to her "You uh, doing okay?" he asked placing his hand onto her shoulder.

"I'm fine" she replies closing her book in an annoyed tone.

"So I hear there's this dance going on this weekend... ah, sounds pretty lame, but you and me, I'm thinking, not as lame, huh?"

"What?"

"The dance! This weekend! You wanna go, or what?"

"I don't have time for a stupid dance. I thought you of all people would get that"

Sun dropped down onto his knees from the rejection. Slade placed his hand onto his shoulder "Don't worry about it, she's just concerned about Torchwick and the White Fang. I'm sure she'd love to go with you" he said cheering him up a bit.

"Thanks, Slade. But how is she going to go with me if she refuses to go at all"

"Leave that to us" Yang confidently announced.

* * *

"You what?" Blake asked in surprise.

"We want you to go to the dance" Ruby answered.

"That's ridiculous"

"Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is starting to mess with your head" Yang explained.

"You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering" Weiss listed off on her fingers.

"You think I care about grades?" She shrugs and then gestures out the window "People's lives are at stake!" Yang puts her hand on Blake's, lowering it.

"We know, and we're all still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to" Yang assured.

"Thanks to you and Sun, we know they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale" Ruby offered.

"And, the Schnee company records singled out Vale as the primary target for Dust robberies over the last few months" Weiss continued.

"Don't forget about their missing military tech too" Yang added.

"But there's still unanswered questions!" Blake protested.

"Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open!" Ruby insisted.

"Killing yourself over this isn't going to help anyone, not you, not us. The only people you're helping by acting like this is Torchwick and whoever he's working for" Slade explained.

"All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day"

"It will be fun! Yang and I will make sure of it" Weiss offered

"Yeah! We're planning the whole event!" Yang pumps her fists which causes the bed to bounce Blake.

"Excuse me?" Blake asked confused.

"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected" Weiss explained.

"So, Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off. And now we can make sure you have the perfect night" Yang added.

"And once it's all over, we'll return for our search, rested and ready" Weiss finished explaining.

"So what do ya think?" Ruby asked with a smile.

"I think this is a colossal waste of time" Blake walks away from the group and opens the dorm door "I'll be in the library" She walks out of the room.

"Great" Yang sighed.

"She can't keep going on like this" Weiss concluded.

"She's going to get herself killed if she does" Slade added shaking his head.

There's a knock at the door and Weiss approaches and opens it. Jaune appears at the door with a guitar. "Weiss!" he sang as Weiss slams the door in his face.

"Oh, come on, open the door... I promise not to sing" Weiss opens the door with a roll of her eyes.

"I lied! Weiss Schu-nee, will you accompany me, to the dance on... Sunday!?" he sang.

"Are you done?" she asked in a bored tone.

"Yes?" he shrugged.

"No" She shuts the door in his face. Turning around, she sees the others staring at her "What?" Both girls are standing precariously.

"And that is why they call you the Ice Queen" Yang laughed as Ruby finally collapsed

"All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name. Besides, I already have a date in mind" she explained.

"Date or no date, none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go" Ruby sighed.

"She's going to the dance" Yang assured.

"How do you know?" Slade asked raising his eyebrow.

"Just leave it to me" Yang answered pointing her thumb at herself.

* * *

"And finally, Pyrrha Nikos" Emerald said pulling up her picture on her scroll.

"Ah, the invincible girl" Cinder mused.

"She's smart, but I wouldn't say invincible" Mercury sighed from his place on the floor.

"Do tell" Cinder said deeply interested.

"Her semblance is Polarity, but you'd never know by just watching" Emerald explained.

"After she made contact with my boots she could move them around however she wanted, though she only made slight adjustments" Mercury added.

"Just enough to look like she's invincible, she doesn't broadcast her power, so it puts her opponent at a disadvantage" Emerald finished.

"Hmm... People assume that she's fated for victory, when she's really taking fate into her own hands. Interesting. Add her to the list" Cinder ordered.

"You should be able to take her no problem" Mercury chuckled.

"It's not about overpowering the enemy, it's about taking away the power they already have. And we will... in time" Cinder explained.

"I hate waiting" Mercury groaned.

"Don't worry, Mercury. We have a fun weekend ahead of us"

"We have another problem, Cinder" Emerald said handing her the scroll with a picture of Slade on it.

"Slade Stroud... how many times am I going to hear his name?" she asked.

"He knows we're not from Haven" Emerald said nervously.

"What?" Mercury asked in surprise.

"I know"

"You know?" Emerald asked confused.

"I will tell you if it becomes necessary, for now... keep to yourselves and keep an eye on him. He knows we aren't students from Haven, and may even be aware of our plans here. We cannot allow him to stand in our way... add him to the list"

"Yes, ma'am" Emerald nodded in understanding.

"Why don't we just kill him now? If he knows about us he'll be a problem" Mercury suggested.

"If he were to disappear right now, we would all be right under a microscope. We need to remain unrestricted to have a chance to move forward with the plan"

"What if he tells someone like General Ironwood?" Mercury pointed out.

"Ironwood would rather lock him away than actually listen to him, and Ozpin refuses to act on information without proof, unless he proves anything about what we're doing we should be fine, keep our activities to a minimum to avoid detection. Slade is too observant for his own good"

"What will we be doing about him then?" Emerald asked curiously. Cinder smiled wickedly.

"There're plenty of students here to pit against him very soon, before then we can just leave things to the White Fang and Roman. They should be able to handle anything he can throw at them"

"The tournament" Mercury grinned.

"Indeed... The Vytal Festival is going to be quite interesting this year" Cinder grinned menacingly.

* * *

"I need you to pick out a table cloth" Weiss said with a smile sliding two sheets of white to Ruby who stared at them confused.

"Aren't they both the same?"

"I don't even know why I asked!" she sighed in frustration.

"You picked out a dress yet?" Yang asked Ruby as she sat down at the table with her.

"What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going"

"Oh don't worry, she's going- Weiss I thought we agreed: No doilies!" she yelled.

"If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!" she yelled back pointing accusingly.

"You're dance is going to have fog machines?" Neptune asked entering the room with Sun.

"We were thinking about it" Weiss said looking at him dreamily.

"That's pretty cool"

"You ladies ready to play dress up?" Sun asked with a smirk.

"Pfft, yeah right" Ruby laughed.

"Laugh all you want, I will be turning heads tomorrow night"

"What're you two wearing?" Weiss asked looking at Sun and Neptune.

"Uh... this?" Sun gesturing to himself.

"Ignore him for he knows not what he says" Neptune cut in stepping in front of him and placing his hand up in his face.

"Blake still being all... Blake-y?" Sun asked cautiously.

"Obviously" Weiss answered turning away disapprovingly.

"I still can't think of a way to change her mind" Ruby sighed.

"Guys, trust me. Blake will be at the dance tomorrow" Yang assured walking out of the room.

"What about you, Ruby. Ask out you know who yet?" Sun asked slumping down next to her.

Ruby blushed furiously "Of course not! He's too busy being fawned over by the other girls here at school, he probably already has a date" she sighed sadly.

"Well from what I've heard he isn't going to the dance"

"Why not?" Ruby asked confused.

"Why don't you ask him yourself? You might be surprised" Sun offered getting up to leave. Ruby sat in thought for a moment before shooting up from her chair and running after him.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Slade asked Yang approaching her from behind as he watched Blake leaving the empty classroom.

"Blake finally listened to me. She's going to the dance" she answered with a bright smile.

"That's good to hear" he sighed in relief with a small smile on his face.

"What about you?" she asked as they walked out of the classroom together.

"Excuse me?" he asked confused.

"Are you going to the dance tomorrow?"

"I'd love to go... but I don't have anyone to go with" he answered lowering his head.

"Neither do I or Ruby and we're both still going" she replied.

"It's not that I have no one to go with that's stopping me from going... it's because-"

"Slade!" multiple voices screeched through the hallway causing him to jump in surprise.

"What the hell?" Yang asked turning to see a large group of girls rushing toward him pushing her out of the way.

"Slade! Who're you going to the dance with?" one asked.

"You should go with me, I'm the smartest in our year!" another yelled pushing the first girl out of her way.

"Why don't you go with me, I'm available" asked another.

"Ladies, please. I can't even understand you, you're all talking at once" Slade interrupted loud enough for them to hear as he backed up a few steps.

All the girls were silenced by the sound of his voice and followed him as he backed away, they all eagerly awaited his next statement.

"What's going on here?" Ruby asked entering the hallway with Weiss.

"All those girls are throwing themselves at Slade" Yang answered. Weiss laughed lightly.

"I wasn't aware he was so popular with the ladies" she laughed elbowing Ruby playfully.

"Neither was I" Yang winked back at them.

"What is it exactly that you all wanted?" Slade asked raising an eyebrow curiously.

"We want you to pick one of us to go to the dance with tomorrow night" answered the girl in front of the group.

"I'm not picking any of you to go with" he answered honestly gaining an uproar from the girls asking things like "Why not?" and "Who're you going with then?"

Slade sighed shaking his head in annoyance "Enough... how about instead of me picking one of you, we make it a contest. I'm going to go hide somewhere in the school, and the fist one of you to find me will be who I go with" he proposed calming them down. They talked amongst themselves momentarily before they all nodded emphatically, Slade smirked in response.

"Excellent... all of you count for two minutes and I will be hidden by then" he answered quickly running out of the hallway afterwards. The group all began to count aloud.

"Ruby?" Yang asked looking around, she couldn't find her sister who mysteriously disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" Weiss asked noticing her absence as well.

* * *

"He has a group of about twenty girls trying to ask him to the dance right now" Ruby sighed dejectedly, slumping down onto the floor her back against the dresser under the window.

"Did he say yes to any of them?" Blake asked sitting on her bed next to her.

"I didn't stay long enough to find out"

"Ruby!" Yang's voice could be heard from the hallway.

"In here!" Blake called back, the door opened as Yang and Weiss entered quickly shutting the door behind them.

"What do you want, Yang?" Ruby asked in a depressed tone.

"Why did you run back here so quickly?" Weiss asked.

"I wasn't going to sit around and watch Slade pick one of those girls to go to the dance with-"

"He didn't pick any of them" Yang interjected.

"What?" Ruby asked confused "There was like twenty of them, how could he say no to all of them?"

"They wouldn't really take no for an answer, so he told them he would hide somewhere in the school and the first one to find him would be who he goes to the dance with" Weiss answered.

"So one of them is still going to go with him"

"Ruby, don't you understand what this means?" Yang asked "If you're the first person to find him, you'll go to the dance with him" she explained. Ruby stared up at her in confusion, he expression slowly changing to one of realization she stood up in shock and began to panic.

"How could I be so dense! I need to go find him! Where would he hide?" she ranted aloud.

"Go already!" Blake implored pushing her out the door "Don't forget to tell him how you feel about him" she added as she pushed her out the door.

"I'm coming!" Ruby yelled sprinting down the hallway.

* * *

Slade sat on the bench of the school balcony watching all the girls below him scurrying around the courtyard looking for him. He shook his head sighing deeply then continued to read the book in his hand.

"Found you!" Ruby yelled panting for breath.

"Ruby?" he asked turning around to face her "Did you need something?"

"I found you" she repeated sitting down on the bench trying to catch her breath.

Slade looked at her in slight amusement as he realized what she meant "You want to go to the dance with me then?" he asked.

Ruby nodded enthusiastically "Yes, I do. I've been trying to ask you for the past few days, I just couldn't find a good time to ask" she explained "When I saw all those girls flirting with you and drooling over you... I don't know, it was weird for me. I guess I was jealous"

"Don't worry, Ruby. No other girl in the world can turn my head like you do" he answered with a warm smile.

"Really? I don't get it. I'm nothing special, just a normal girl..."

"So?"

"So, you're a super powerful huntsman who could have anything he wants. I'm a nerdy girl who's obsessed with weapons and you chose me? Seriously?" she asked in disbelief.

"You're beautiful, charming, sometimes crazy and always exciting. What man wouldn't choose you?" he asked with a smirk. Ruby grabbed him by the back of his head and smashed her lips onto his, Slade froze, he slowly responded to her movements, cupping her face with his right hand and placing his left hand on her back allowing them to deepen the kiss. They continued to kiss passionately until they broke apart for air, they remained inches away from each other as they caught their breath.

"That was my first kiss" Ruby admitted with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks "How'd I do?" she asked nervously

"You were fantastic" he answered with a smile "It was my first kiss as well" he added with a wink.

"Really? You've never dated anyone else before?" she asked.

"I was always too busy keeping myself from getting killed or arrested"

"Arrested?" she asked with a laugh "What'd you do?"

"It's illegal in Atlas to assault one of their robots when they're arresting you" he answered with a small laugh.

"Isn't General Ironwood from Atlas?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, Ozpin has already assured me I will not be arrested for any crimes I technically committed while surviving on my own"

"Awful nice of him"

"I'm an awful nice guy" Slade winked earning a laugh from Ruby.

* * *

"Oh you look beautiful!" Yang yelled seeing Ruby enter the room in her dress and heels, she was fidgeting uncomfortably in her outfit.

"Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?" she asked wobbling her way over to the podium, much to Yang's amusement laughing at her sister's issues.

"Stupid neck trap" Slade's voice came from behind her, she turned around to see him wearing a full black suit and tie he was pulling lightly on the tie. Slade stopped as his eyes settled on Ruby, he stared in awe his jaw dropping open slightly. Ruby began blushing furiously noticing his gaze.

"You look amazing" he breathed out regaining his composure.

"Don't get any funny ideas" Yang joked causing them both to blush lightly.

"Yang" Ruby groaned. Yang slung her arm around Slade's neck bringing him closer to her.

"If you break my sister's heart, I promise: You're going to wish you were dead by the time I'm done with you" Yang whispered threateningly.

"Noted" he whispered back.

"Care to dance, milady?" Slade asked bowing as he extended his hand out for her to accept. Ruby smiled placing her hand in his own.

"I do believe I shall, milord" she answered with a slight curtsy.

"They really do go well together don't they?" Weiss asked watching them walk toward the dance floor, Ruby struggled with the dancing constantly stepping on his toes, much to Nora's amusement.

"They really do" Yang agreed with a content smile on her face.

"Sorry" Ruby apologized again stepping on his toes.

"It's fine, Ruby" he laughed hiding the pain as she stepped on his again.

"That's Slade Stroud?" Ironwood asked Ozpin as they watched the two dancing together.

"Indeed, that is my son as well"

"You adopted him?"

"Indeed I did"

"Honestly, I was expecting someone more... rugged" he replied "Someone who so often destroys Atlas property I was expecting a delinquent or someone downright criminal" he continued.

"Slade has had a rough upbringing on account of his fathers lifestyle, and the loss of both his parents so early in his life. I'd give him a chance before labeling him anything... he's still a child after all"

"A child capable of matching some of our best huntsmen without a semblance. I'd have thought he have a semblance like Ms. Nikos giving him an advantage over his opponents"

"Not everyone needs a trick up their sleeve to be able to succeed" Ozpin explained "Sometimes you just need to use your head"

"Pardon?" Ironwood asked raising an eyebrow.

"Slade isn't a strong fighter because of his physical skills alone. He plans twelve steps ahead in every match calculating every possibility down to the smallest detail. Slade knows his opponent's next move before they do themselves"

"A tactical genius" Ironwood smirked.

"He gets it from his mother, she was one of our best strategist and tactical analyzer since she was your student"

"Slade seems to embody many traits from both his parents then" Ironwood laughed.

"He is the spitting image of his father" Ozpin agreed "But his personality is his mother through and through" he added with a grin. Ruby and Slade walked off the dance floor toward the punchbowl hand in hand.

"I hope things continue to look up for the boy" Ironwood said before turning to leave "He needs to be ready to fight against our enemies should it come to that"

"I hope he never needs to" Ozpin replied solemnly.

"Don't we all"

* * *

"I see you're hiding by the punchbowl too" Jaune said sliding over to Ruby and Slade.

"Yup" Ruby said popping the p on the end.

"To the socially awkward" he toasted, gaining a laugh from them both as they clinked their glasses together.

"I'm going to get some fresh air" Slade finished his punch placing the glass back onto the table before walking out.

"I'll be out in a minute" Ruby called after him as he left.

Slade walked out into the dark night and sat upon a small bench outside leaning his head back as he clasped his hands together behind it. Slade waited patiently for Ruby looking up at the moon shining brightly down on him. Ruby sat down next to him silently not wishing to disturb him.

"I've had fun tonight" Slade spoke breaking the silence "Thank you for coming with me tonight"

"You're thanking me? I should be thanking you, I have been stepping on your toes all night long" she laughed.

"Well, you got the dancing down afterward" he chuckled in response.

"Only because you were so patient with me, thank you" she leaned in toward him, he followed suit bringing their lips together once more. They kissed passionately each pulling the other closer, Slade suddenly pulled back slightly, confusing Ruby.

"What's wrong?" she asked, following his gaze. Ruby saw a figure dressed completely in black running across the rooftops.

"Does that seem suspicious to you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'm thinking we should follow" Ruby answered standing up from the bench.

"Glad we're on the same page"

* * *

Slade and Ruby followed the mysterious figure until they reached the CCT Tower. They lost sight of the figure as they reached the front of the tower.

"Where did you think he went?" Ruby asked looking around.

Slade removed his pistol from beneath his suit jacket "I'd say that's a bad sign" he answered gesturing to the guard laying in the bushes near the building entrance.

"Let me call in Crescent Rose" she pressed her fingers into the keypad on her scroll then waited as her rocket propelled locker soared through the sky crashing into the ground next to them, she removed Crescent Rose from it opening it into scythe form.

"We're going to want to be careful, our mysterious assailant probably heard that" Slade warned as they entered the building.

"You've got it"

They walked warily through the halls of the building arriving at the elevator to the top of the tower. Multiple guards were lay sprawled across the floor of the building.

"Elevator is already at the top" Slade noted as Ruby pressed the button to call it back down.

"Then we need to get up there fast"

"He'll be expecting us" Slade sighed cocking his gun as the elevator arrived "Expect the worst"

"We've got this"

"Hopefully we'll have some backup" Slade said pressing to activate the distress beacon on his scroll as the elevator took them up. The doors opened to an empty room as Slade rolled out behind the nearest wall pressing his back into it, looking around the wall as Ruby awkwardly stepped out of the elevator he saw the assailant hiding behind one of the terminals.

"Come out where I can see you, with your hands up" Slade ordered pointing his gun toward him. The assailant stood up with his hands in the air revealing himself to be a woman.

"I knew you were behind this" Slade growled.

"Excuse me? You know, it's not a masquerade party. So why don't you take off that-" Ruby was interrupted by having ice shards produced by a dust bottle thrown at her, she deflects them with Crescent Rose struggling in the clothing she's wearing.

Slade and Ruby fired their weapons at Cinder as she blocked them all with the palm of her hand easily. Cinder created a bow in her hand jumping over Ruby's strike as she launched herself with Crescent Rose, embedding it into the floor where Cinder previously stood. Loosing three arrows from her bow into the ground in front of Ruby the explosion knocked her back several feet, she embedded her scythe into the ground as she slid to a stop beside Slade.

Slade stepped forward firing his pistol at her, Cinder blocked the bullets and loosed three more arrows one after the other. Slade sidestepped the first arrow, then deflected the second with a pistol whip, shifting his head to the right slightly he avoided the final arrow aimed at his head. Cinder imbued her hands in flame preparing to fire a powerful blast of energy.

The elevator opened behind them revealing General Ironwood with his pistol in hand, Ruby turned to see him and grinned in response. Cinder used this opportunity to fire the at Ruby. Slade grabbed Ruby and threw her out of the blast's path, ensuring he would be hit.

"Slade!" she yelled in terror as he vanished into thin air, leaving behind some sort of black mist that quickly vanished after him. The blast hit the wall next to Ironwood causing him to duck behind the terminals behind Ruby. Looking around frantically, Ruby found Slade standing in shock at the opposite end of the room. Cinder escaped while the group's attention was elsewhere.

"Slade? How did you do that?" Ruby asked curiously.

"I'm not even sure what I did" he answered looking down at his hands in confusion.

"I do" Ironwood stood from his place behind the computer terminals "You just unlocked your semblance" he explained holstering his pistol.

"My semblance?" Slade asked in surprise "But what did I do?"

"What exactly did you do after you threw Ms. Rose out of harms way?" Ironwood asked.

"I realized I couldn't avoid the blast and focused on trying to use my aura to protect myself from any damage I might sustain"

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"Well, I was planning my next move if I could still move. I only thought about getting behind her so I could catch her in close quarters"

"Whatever you did is something you're going to have to hold onto for future use. Young man, I believe your semblance is teleportation" he explained with a smirk.

"Teleportation?" he asked in shock.

"Tele-what now?" Ruby asked.

"Teleportation: The ability to transport yourself from one place to the next instantaneously. An ability that has never been seen before"

"I know what it is... I was just surprised" Ruby admitted sheepishly.

"I'm just as shocked as you are" Slade said looking back at her with a small smile.

"Do you know who she was? What she was here for?" Ironwood asked gesturing toward where Cinder had previously stood. Slade stood looking back at where Cinder had been previously before sighing with a shake of his head.

"Any questions you have can be answered when Ozpin is present" Slade replied turning for the elevator.

"If you know something, you need to tell me" Ironwood demanded grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Anything I have to say to you I will need to repeat to Ozpin anyway, she's not going to be leaving Beacon anytime soon" he replied removing his hand from his shoulder as he continued walking.

"Slade..." Ruby breathed out concerned. Slade stopped and looked toward her with a frown on his face, sighing he walked over to her and pulled her into a reassuring hug.

"I promise you everything is going to be okay, no one is going to hurt you or our friends. I promise"


	10. The Shadow Of Beacon

**Two chapters coming at ya once again! I must be in a generous mood or something. Read away!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: The Shadow Of Beacon**

Ozpin sat in his office with General Ironwood and Glynda, he sighed deeply frustrated with his current situation.

"They were here. Ozpin they were here!" Ironwood yelled slamming his fists down on the desk.

"We're very much aware of that! Thank you, James" Glynda chastised.

"Fantastic! You're aware! Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?!" he bellowed in annoyance. The elevator rang indicating someone had arrived in it.

"Come in" Ozpin called.

Ruby and Slade entered the room "Sorry it took so long, someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here" Ruby explained "It wasn't me" she defended after a short pause.

"Right..." Slade smirked shaking his head lightly.

"Thank you for coming, Ruby, Slade. How're you both feeling?" Ozpin asked concerned.

"Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad-guy-catching record wasn't O-for-three" Ruby answered. Everyone just stared at her silently "Okay, so that's the tone we're going for. Got it"

"Ruby, Slade I feel it's appropriate to let you both know that I think what you did last night is exactly what being a Huntsman and Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat. You took action. And you did the very best you could" Ironwood explained.

"Thank you, sir" Ruby said with a small smile, Slade only nodded in return.

"Now, the general here has already informed us of the events that... transpired last night, but now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add" Ozpin said hopefully.

"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?" Glynda asked.

"I... I don't know. She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to me. But I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was her Semblance, though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked. She used some fire attacks as well, I don't know if that was her semblance or more dust" Ruby explained.

"Save for the glass, that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby" Glynda informed.

"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could have been anyone" Ironwood sighed in annoyance.

"Wait. You think this girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?" Ruby asked.

"It's possible. But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together" Ozpin answered with a curious look in his eye directed at Slade.

"Mr. Stroud, you have been very quiet... is there anything you'd like to add?" Glynda asked, Slade stared directly at Ironwood in response.

"Not with him here" he answered.

"Me?" Ironwood asked confused.

"I understand your parents had a strained relationship with the General, but I can assure you he can be trusted" Ozpin said with a reassuring smile. Slade was still hesitant until Ruby took his hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. He sighed in annoyance before answering.

"Cinder Fall"

"Excuse me?" Glynda asked confused.

"Her name was Cinder Fall, she's masquerading as a student from Haven with a team of students who're working with her. I don't know anything about them or what they're doing here. But I know for a fact she is working with the White Fang and Torchwick" Slade explained.

"How did you come across this information?" Ironwood asked.

"About a year before Ozpin asked me to attend Beacon, I was confronted by a woman named Cinder Fall who wanted to recruit me for a job. I asked what it was she required... she wanted me to join with her and help her steal something from people she called Maidens. I don't know anything more than that, but she was recruiting others to her cause as well. I don't think she came up with a plan like this on her own though, someone must be backing her" Slade explained.

"Why did you decline the job?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"The same reason I decline any job, I don't trust the employer. I only do jobs to help people not harm them" he answered "Cinder doesn't take no very well" he informed.

"She attacked you?" Ironwood asked, Slade nodded.

"She fought with the same weapons and abilities as the intruder, I recognized her immediately when I saw her in the hallway" he explained.

"Why didn't you tell us then?" Glynda asked suspiciously.

"If I had told you someone infiltrated the school simply because I think I recognized her. Do you really think any of you would've taken me seriously?" he asked accusingly.

"At least we would've had a heads up-" Ironwood began.

"He's right, James. We would've dismissed it as paranoia" Ozpin sighed "You did well to keep your eye on them while they're here. Without evidence I cannot take any definitive action against them. But I can however limit their ability to move freely" Ozpin informed.

"At least it's something" Ironwood groaned.

"Actually, I... I think I remember her saying something about a hideout, or something, in the southeast. Just outside the Kingdom" Ruby added in realization.

"Interesting" Ozpin smirked behind his hands resting on his desk.

"I thought you said the intruder never—" Glynda attempted to ask before being interrupted.

"Thank you for your cooperation, both of you. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you"

"Any time" Ruby called back as she turned to leave.

"And Ms. Rose. please try and be ... discreet about this matter"

"Yes sir" Ruby replied stepping into the elevator. Slade moved from his place leaning on the wall and walked toward the elevator.

"Mr. Stroud, I have more questions for you before you leave" Ozpin announced stopping him in his tracks, Slade turned back toward them as the elevator closed.

"Ask away"

"Who're the others Cinder is with here at the school? Tell me anything you know about them"

"I only know that Cinder is here with a team of her associates. One is Mercury Black, and the other is Emerald Sustrai. I don't know who the third member is, only that she seems to remain with Cinder at all times since their arrival here at school"

"Make sure all the teachers know to keep their eyes on them for anything suspicious-" Ironwood suggested.

"You said Mercury was working with her?" Glynda asked in realization.

"Yes, Professor"

"Now it makes sense why he fought against Ms. Nikos"

"Mercury was trying to find a weakness in her fighting style... and he found it"

"They're sizing up our students, but for what purpose?" Glynda wondered aloud.

"The same reason we're going to evaluating them" Ozpin answered.

"We know where they are now. We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way"

"Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!? You treat every situation like it's a contest of measuring di-" Glynda growled in frustration.

"Glynda!" Ozpin interjected sternly.

"Well, he does" she insisted crossing her arms over her chest.

"She's right. As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic"

"I have served you faithfully for years... but if you mean to tell me that your plan is to really hold the defenses, and wait-" Ironwood began angrily before being interrupted by Ozpin standing up abruptly.

"It is not! You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?" Ozpin asked.

"If I may Professors... I believe my team and I have proven we're up to the task. Send us southeast and we'll find any underground crime network that Torchwick may be hiding in the area" Slade offered.

"Capable as you may be, I haven't seen anything about you or your team that tells me a group of first year students can handle a task such as this-"

"With all due respect, James. You haven't seen what Mr. Stroud is capable of" Glynda interjected, Slade was surprised by her standing up for him.

"He's still in his first year, no one is that capable at such a young age" he argued.

"Enough" Ozpin ended the argument by smacking his cane into the floor startling the both of them "Slade Stroud is the most capable Huntsman I have ever seen in all my years of training. He and his team can handle the job"

"Oz-" Ironwood began.

"That being said, I will be sending them on this mission in a official capacity for today's assignment. They will be shadowing one of our best Huntsman here at Beacon. I trust they'll see it though"

"If... that is what you believe is best" he relented.

"Excellent, I suggest you inform the rest of your team about their secret mission. I will meet you all in the amphitheater to give you more details"

"Thank you, sir" Slade smiled as he turned to leave.

* * *

"We're what?!" Weiss asked excitedly.

"We're going on a secret mission to find Torchwick's hideout?" Yang asked in surprise "Nicely done"

"Hopefully we'll be able to catch him this time, and his mute friend" Blake added.

"I'm just hoping we find evidence to link Cinder and Torchwick together so Ozpin can handle things"

"Cinder?" Blake asked confused.

"She's the girl who attacked us last night" Ruby explained "Slade has met her before and knows she is here at the school in disguise"

"She's hiding in plain sight with the rest of her team, by now she probably realizes I know about her and is speeding up her plans. Whatever they may be. Either way, Ozpin and the other teachers will be keeping an eye on them now. They won't make a move without us knowing about it"

"I hope so" Ruby said with worry in her voice.

"I know just the thing to cheer you up!" Yang yelled producing a cylindrical package the length of her forearm.

"What's that?" she asked confused.

"I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us, I figured we could open it together!"

"Ooooh! Something from home!" Ruby yelled excitedly .Ruby zooms over to Yang and wraps herself around Yang, trying to take the cylinder from her. The package opens, and another cylinder, hairy and black, falls out onto the floor and starts to shake. The object suddenly transforms into a corgi. Team RWBY leans in, staring at it. The animal barks twice excitedly.

"Zwei!" Ruby yelled happily.

"He sent a dog?" Blake asked backing away slightly.

"In the mail?" Weiss added.

"Oh, ya. He does this kind of thing all the time" Yang waved off dismissively.

"I no longer question why you both are the way you are" Slade chuckled lightly.

"Your father or your dog?" Blake asked now hiding in Ruby's bunk.

"Are you telling me that this mangy... drooling... mutt is going to wiv wif us foweva? Oh, yes he is, yes he is! Oh, isn't he adorable!" Weiss gushed.

"Please keep it away from my belongings" Blake pleaded.

"Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater" Glynda's voice said through the intercom.

"Well, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for the week" Slade pointed out.

"Look, there's a letter! "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang" Yang read aloud finishing as dozens of cans of dog food spill out of the small package, piling up around Zwei.

"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asked as a can opener falls from the package, bouncing off Zwei's head.

"Well, that settles it! Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!" Yang announced walking out the door.

"Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you" Weiss's speech deteriorates into incomprehensible baby talk as she walks away.

Meanwhile, Blake jumps down from Ruby's bunk and jumps across the table, avoiding Zwei. Ruby stares at Zwei for a moment, before smiling sneakily.

"Ruby. No" Slade said sternly.

* * *

Zwei's head poked out from Ruby's backpack panting happily.

"I cannot believe you talked me into this" Slade sighed placing his head back into the bag.

"Because I'm just too adorable to say no to" Ruby giggled.

"Don't make me take your dog away" he warned causing her to feign being offended.

"You wouldn't dare"

"I wont need to. The Huntsman we're shadowing probably will do it for me" Slade explained laughing lightly as they walked out toward the airship to meet the Huntsman.

"You guys pumped or what?" Yang asked slinging her arms around their shoulders as she approached from behind with Blake and Weiss.

"Not as much as you" Slade answered dryly.

"Why wouldn't I be excited? Professor Ozpin gave us a free pass to find Torchwick's hideout and bring his smug ass down!" Yang yelled pumping her fist into the air excitedly.

"Putting him away will interfere with Cinder's plan and hopefully end their dust shop robberies" Blake pointed out.

"Not to mention putting a stop to the White Fang as well" Weiss added.

"I doubt Adam Taurus will be in attendance. He prefers to stay to the shadows" Slade explained.

"He certainly used to, not so much anymore" Blake said lowering her head dejectedly.

"Why hello students! Who's ready to fight for their lives?" Oobleck asked excitedly.

"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss asked surprised. He began talking fast while pacing in front of the students.

"Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you, we will not be establishing a single base of operations; rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the airship. And-" he stopped momentarily getting uncomfortably close to Weiss "It's Doctor Oobleck, I didn't get the PhD for fun, thank you very much"

"You know both "Doctor" and "Professor" require a PhD, right?" Slade pointed out.

"Come now children; according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind... schedule!" he finished zipping off toward the airship ignoring Slade's statement.

"Right..." Slade let the word hang in the air.

"Well, alright, then! Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oooobleck- okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse" Ruby dejectedly hung her head failing to cheer up the team.

"Save the world?" Nora asked from behind them. Ruby's team turned around to see team JNPR approaching.

"You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt... sad! Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault, though, Ren..." Nora dramatically ranted then glared at Ren. Ren simply turns away crossing his arms.

"Sounds exciting. Where ya going?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, just outside the kingdom..." Ruby answered trying not to go into too much detail.

"Hey! So are we!" Nora excitedly announced.

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village" Pyrrha explained.

"We set out tomorrow" Ren added.

"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune called as he and Sun approached the group "We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges" Jaune stared at the badges in awe.

"We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk, so we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, you know... normal" Sun explained referring to Ruby and her team.

"Well-" Ruby began before being interrupted.

"Four minutes, ladies!" Oobleck yelled poking his head out from the airship.

"Well, uh... wish us luck" Ruby said as they walked toward the airship.

"Did Oobleck just call me a lady?" Slade asked earning a laugh from the group.

* * *

"I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter" Yang said to Oobleck as the airship soared over buildings below them.

"I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles" he replied, Ruby tilted her head in confusion.

"Like the Mushroom?" she asked.

"Those are truffles" Blake answered.

"Like the sprout?"

"Those are Brussels" Yang answered.

"Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabbling's in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular... assignment!"

"What does history have to do with this?"

"Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager" Oobleck answered turning sharply on Weiss.

"And that means?" she asked for clarification.

"The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!"

"Mountain Glenn" Ruby concluded.

"The ruin?" Slade asked.

"That's right! It was an expansion of Vale... but in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city" Yang explained recalling on her knowledge from school.

"Correct! And now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder" Oobleck pointed out.

"And a likely place for a hideout" Blake added.

"Precisely" Oobleck said adjusting his glasses and smiling.

"So do we have a plan on how to find this underground hideout, or are we just stumbling in the dark here?" Slade asked as they approached the ruined city.

"I have a plan indeed, we shall scour the ruins where Grimm activity is most prominent and discover our adversaries locale through their negative emotions" Oobleck explained "We can discuss it further once we're on the ground" he added jumping out of the airship as they hovered over the street. Ruby, Blake, Weiss, Yang, and Slade all followed after him. Slade placed his hood over his head while placing on his mask as he exited the airship.

"Children! You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntresses and Huntsmen begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?" The group nods in understanding, Oobleck suddenly turns to Ruby surprising her "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school"

"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't" Slade stared at her like she was crazy.

"She's not wrong" Oobleck whispered to himself causing Slade to facepalm in annoyance "Very well, Ruby; leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return"

"But I, well uh- "

Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with-" Oobleck stops as the bag's zipper opens and out pops Zwei's head, causing everyone to stare at the uninvited guest. Whispering to her dog through the side of her mouth.

"Get back in the bag" Zwei merely barks in response.

"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a dog?" Oobleck asked in disbelief.

"I, uh-" Ruby stuttered.

"Genius!" he yells backing away long enough for Ruby to give a confused shrug to the group before speeding past and snatching the pet away from Ruby, who tumbles to the ground as Oobleck spins Zwei in the air "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!"

Ruby stared off stunned from the unexpected response then points to herself proudly stating "I'm a genius" Slade nearly toppled over from shock.

"We're doomed" he sighed, Weiss and Yang both facepalm at their grinning leader.

"What're your orders, Doctor?" Blake asked getting down to business.

"Ah, yes, straight to the chase; I like it! As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hot spot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being... Grimm"

"Uh, what?" Ruby asked giving a confused stare with the rest of her team.

"That's rather redundant" Slade pointed out.

"Grimm, a creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment" Oobleck explained causing the group to turn around.

"What?" Yang almost yelled in surprise.

"Lead with that next time perhaps" Slade suggested as he and the rest of the group prepared their weapons.

"Stop!" Oobleck ordered.

"Huh?" Slade lowered his weapon.

"There are a number of reasons why Grimm will congregate in this particular area, the most likely of which will be their attraction to negativity: sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred. All qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent" Oobleck explained.

So... What now?" Ruby asked.

"We wait. We track. If this specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey"

"How long do we wait?" Blake asked.

"It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months - and there's the whole pack" Oobleck began before seeing five more Grimm show up beside it.

"What?" Weiss asked in shock.

"And now they've seen us" Oobleck pointed out calmly.

"What?!" Weiss yelled louder in shock.

"And now they've seen us!" Oobleck shouted in her ear.

"I take it tracking them is out of the question?" Ruby asked preparing Crescent Rose once more.

"An accurate assumption, yes" he answered.

"What's the plan then?" Yang asked.

"Show me what you're capable of" he answered with a smirk.

"Now that's a plan I can get behind" Slade chuckled.

"Cover your ears Zwei" Ruby warned as she prepared to fire Crescent Rose, Zwei rolled himself into a ball.

Yang charged the Grimm head on smashing her fists into them as they attacked her. Blake used her semblance to distract them before slicing them in half with her blade. Weiss practically danced around them as she struck through their numbers sliding on her heels as if on ice she cut through them gracefully. Slade easily cut his way through scores of Grimm as they attacked him from all sides with his blade. Ruby fired Crescent Rose dropping multiple Grimm as they charged her, twisting her scythe around she fired it launching her toward the last Grimm remaining cutting him in half. Ruby turned back towards Oobleck with a grin on her face.

"Piece of cake" Ruby shrugged back at Oobleck. One last Grimm leapt at the group from behind, it was instantly killed as it soared through the air when Slade fired his pistol into it's head from beneath it.

"Oops" Yang shrugged.

"Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?" Oobleck asked.

"We shall" Slade replied bowing mockingly as he walked ahead of the group.

* * *

Slade stood on the edge of a broken scrap of a building using it as higher ground with his rifle in hand he scouted ahead searching for Grimm. Whenever one came into view he quickly dispatched it with his rifle never missing a shot.

"Mr. Stroud. I have a question for you"

"Wondering why I became a Huntsman?" Slade asked having listened to his earlier conversations with his teammates.

"No. I was wondering why you chose to attend Beacon"

"Huh?" Slade was confused by the question "Isn't that the same thing?"

"Mr. Stroud, you have been a Huntsman longer than anyone else on your team. You have done what true Huntsmen do for years before coming to Beacon. I understand Ozpin offered you a chance to come to Beacon and you refused, then he offered to be your personal instructor and you accepted. I wish to know why"

Slade remained silent contemplating his question as he continued to search for Grimm.

"A few years ago I met someone name Cinder Fall, the suspect for our break in last night... she offered me a chance to fight for something that mattered. That's how she told it at least. I was interested in what she had to say until she started explaining everything to me. She wanted to hurt people called maidens and steal something from them. I told her I didn't want any part of hurting innocent people... she didn't take it well"

"I understand she attempted to kill you" Slade nodded turning back to Oobleck.

"She was stronger than I imagined she'd be. The reason I was hesitant to accept Ozpin's offer, was because I thought he was just like everybody else"

"Everyone else? How so?"

"Everyone I've ever known, even my parents. They always wanted something from me. My father wanted me to be a fighter, my mother wanted me to become a Huntsman... Cinder wanted me to become one of her pets like Mercury and Emerald. I expected Ozpin to be just like them... but he wasn't. Ozpin actually cared about what I wanted and helped me through personal problems I couldn't handle on my own"

"Such as grief for your mother... tell me, why was it so hard for you to move on from your mother and not your father?"

"My father and I never had the best relationship. But the real reason, is because he died a hero protecting a village from the Grimm. I never would've been able to stop him. My mother only died because she had to protect me... I thought I could've saved her if I had been stronger or if I hadn't run away when she told me"

"Interesting... do you believe Ozpin still wants something from you?"

"I believe Ozpin doesn't share a lot of details with me about certain things. He didn't seem surprised to learn Cinder was here at the school and working with Torchwick. I think he knows more than he lets on... but I'm not sure if he wants something from me. Right now, as long as I'm able to fight for those who can't fight for themselves and keep my friends safe... there's no place I'd rather be"

Oobleck smiled warmly at his answer "You and Ruby both have that spark about you" he practically whispered.

"Spark?" Slade wondered as Oobleck walked away "What did he mean?"

* * *

"We're going to have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, everyone eat your dinners then rush off to bed" Oobleck ordered "We're going to have to take turns keeping watch, any volunteers for first watch?" Oobleck asked.

"I can handle watch for tonight, I'm used to not sleeping for a day or two" Slade piped up holding his rifle in hand as he walked to a vantage point in the building they made camp in.

"That is satisfactory, trade off with someone if you get tired" he announced before quickly laying down and appearing to be asleep.

"What did you tell Oobleck?" Yang asked as Slade walked over to the vantage point.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"When he asked you why you became a Huntsman, what did you tell him?" she explained.

"He never asked me" he answered with a shrug.

Yang looked down disappointed at her lack of an answer before laying down on her bedroll. Zwei approaches Slade as he sits at the edge of the building and props himself onto his lap. Slade looks down at the animal in mild annoyance before relenting, he stroke Zwei's head softly as he watched the street.

"Things will be better tomorrow" Ruby said kissing his cheek as she walked to her bedroll.

"I certainly hope so" he sighed.

About an hour later none of the girls could sleep and laid on their backs bored as Slade remained posed at the lookout position.

"Blake, are you awake?" Yang asked rolling over onto her side.

"Yeah"

"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?" she asked unsure of herself.

"Maybe he was just curious" Blake pointed out.

"You think?"

"No" Blake admitted.

"Weiss, are you awake?" Yang asked.

"Of course I'm awake! You two are talking. And I think he... When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area"

"That's putting it lightly" Blake pointed out.

"Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it" Weiss said determination in her voice.

"All my life, I fought for what I thought was right. I had a partner named Adam. More of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone. I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the Academy, what will I - how can I undo so many years of hate?" Blake asked unsure.

"I'm sure you'd figure it out. You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake" Yang assured.

"But I am! I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance! I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!" Blake groaned.

"At least you two have something that drives you. I've just kinda of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that. I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today" Yang explained slightly envious.

"Well, she's still just a kid" Weiss pointed out.

"She's only two years younger. We're all kids" Blake added.

"Well, not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!" Yang said gesturing around her.

"It's the life we chose" Blake sighed.

"It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second" Weiss explained gaining nods of agreement from them both.

"What about Slade?" Ruby asked sitting up in her bedroll.

"Ruby? I didn't know you were up" Yang said surprised.

"I've been up for awhile, I heard what you guys were talking about" she admitted.

"What did you mean about Slade?" Blake asked curiously.

"You're all talking about the reason you became a Huntress and why you're here today. But what about Slade? Has anyone thought about the fact that he wasn't given a choice?" Ruby asked looking toward him as he shifted his rifle on his lap to accommodate Zwei.

"Didn't he make the decision to come here like everyone else?" Weiss asked confused.

"He made the choice to attend Beacon, not become a Huntsman. That choice was made for him by his parents" Ruby explained lowering her head.

"What do you mean made for him?" Yang asked.

"From what he's told us, his parents forced combat training on him from an early age and even had him design his own weapon at the age of ten. He became a Huntsman because he didn't know how to do anything else when they died" Ruby explained.

"I guess I never thought about it like that" Weiss admitted looking to Slade with a look of remorse.

"I think we should all be grateful for what we do have. We all have parents and family's that love and care for us. We all have dreams we hope to accomplish, and we all have each other. Without us, and Ozpin. What does Slade really have?"

"He'll always have us" Yang concluded confidently "You're right, Ruby. We've taken Slade for granted just as much as anything else. He does so much for us and we never show him any appreciation for it. I think when we get back to Beacon we should do something special just for him" Yang suggested.

"Sounds great" Weiss agreed.

Oobleck while sleeping smiled lightly at their conversation, content with them being the future guardians of Remnant.


	11. Brace For Impact

**Here's that second chapter like I promised you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Ten: Brace For Impact**

Slade sat watching from the lookout point, he sighed from boredom looking to his left he watched the girls all sleeping briefly. Turning his head around he stopped midway whipping his head back around and looking at Ruby's empty bedroll.

"Where's Ruby?" he asked standing at attention.

"What?" Oobleck asked quickly getting up from his bedroll.

"Ruby's missing" he answered as Zwei entered the building barking in an urgent manner.

"Zwei?" Yang asked confused as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked.

"Grab your weapons! Your leader may be in trouble" Oobleck answered following Zwei and Slade as they exited the building. Blake, Weiss, and Yang quickly armed themselves and followed behind them.

"That's Ruby's scythe" Slade pointed out picking it up off the ground in front of a large hole in the road.

"Oh no" Blake worriedly looked around for any sign of Ruby.

"Do you think she fell?" Weiss asked.

"Fell?" Oobleck asked looking up from the weapon.

"Down there" Slade answered pointing to the giant hole in front of them.

"Oh my... of course, of course, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!" Oobleck yelled in realization.

"What is it?" Blake asked confused.

"How could I be so stupid?!" Oobleck asked in disbelief.

"Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?" Yang asked.

"Mountain Glenn! Yes, an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people commuting to the city, the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!"

"Doc, what are you saying?" Yang asked not understanding.

"My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!" he answered frantically.

"They've been working in caves?" Blake asked.

"No, no, Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense, and unique transportation; the city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival: They took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!" he explained.

"An underground village?" Yang asked.

"In a matter of speaking, yes. A safe haven. Until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby is down there... we must find her" Oobleck concluded worriedly.

"You knew about the subway system here and never bothered to tell us? That's the first place we should've looked" Slade pointed out exasperated.

"Had I known that's where they were operating I would've done just that. But the subways have always been overrun by Grimm and most of the pathways have collapsed overtime. Including those originally sealed intentionally"

"You were hoping to avoid them" Slade concluded.

"Precisely"

* * *

"Hey boss! I found something you'll want to see!" called the White Fang thug dragging Ruby along the train.

"Is it good or bad, Perry? Because let me tell ya, I have had a day" Roman's voice called from an open train car.

"Uh... it's a little girl?" Perry answered unsure. Roman swung out from the train car hanging off the side by the handle.

"That would be bad" he answered glaring at Ruby. Grabbing Ruby by the collar of her clothes he lifted her into the air her legs swinging helplessly "Where's the rest of your team?" Torchwick asked menacingly. Ruby spit in his face angering him. Throwing her to the floor he laugh loudly.

"Wow! You are much more manageable without that oversized gardening tool of yours" Roman laughed out trying to catch his breath. Ruby gets up and charges him, he sidesteps her causing her to stumble to the ground.

"Oh man! Y'know, Perry, I really needed this" he laughed gaining a thumbs up from Perry in response. Roman aimed his cane at Ruby "But seriously. How'd you find this place, Red? Where's the rest of your team?" he asked losing his playful demeanor. Ruby growled and used her semblance to escape running for the exit "Whoa!" Roman yelled slightly startled.

Torchwick fired the handle of his cane at Ruby as a grappling hook grabbing her by the hood and pulling her back toward him "I see you've got some tricks up your sleeve! Let me make this clear: We're not through here yet" he warned just before a massive explosion shook through the area stumbling everyone in the room.

"Oh, what the- Perry, if you and the boys could take care of that? Kinda in the middle of something here" Perry nods and goes to investigate just as another explosion rips through the area.

"What is going on here?!" Roman yelled annoyed.

A third explosion sounds and multiple White Fang members come running around the corner, some firing at an unknown enemy. Weiss, Blake, Slade, Yang, Zwei and Oobleck run around the corner, much to Roman's annoyance. Ruby decides to take this moment to try and escape. She jumps on Roman's shoulders, pulls his hat down over his eyes, and then flees towards her friends. Roman readjusts his hat and glares after Ruby.

"Somebody kill her!" he yelled. White Fang members began firing their weapons at Ruby forcing her to dodge and weave between the bullets.

"Attach this cart and spread the word: We're starting the train" Roman ordered annoyed.

"But we're not finished yet" he protested. Roman slammed him against the train with his cane.

"Do it or you're finished!" he threatened.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled relived as Ruby jumped into her arms.

"Are you okay?" Slade asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! But listen! Torchwick has got all kinds of weapons and robots down there!" she frantically explained.

"What?!" Blake asked in shock.

"Androids, mechs, they're all loaded up on the train cars" she answered.

"Ahhhhh, that's ridiculous. These tunnels are sealed, the tracks lead to a dead-end" Oobleck argued.

"Get to your places, we're leaving now!" Roman's voice came over the intercom.

"Well, it sounds like they're going somewhere!" Yang yelled back.

"Clearly they have a destination in mind" Slade pointed out.

"We need to call backup. Let me call Jaune" Ruby suggested.

"No signal in here, Ruby. We don't have backup" Slade explained gesturing to where they were.

"Slade's right, I can't get through"

"So, what do we do?" Blake asked.

"I believe we only have one option" Oobleck answered.

"Stop the train" Ruby concluded as Slade rushed off toward the train with the rest of the team following behind him. They all jumped onto the train sneaking into the open train car on the back.

"I think they're on the-" a White Fang member attempted to say into a communication device before Slade kicked him out of the train car onto the tracks.

"Hurry, children! We must get to the front and stop this train!" Oobleck ordered.

"Err... Professor?" Weiss asked opening the car's hatch.

"Doctor..." he stressed turning toward her.

"What's that?" she asked pointing into the open hatch, Oobleck kneeled down to take a look.

"That my dear... appears to be a bomb" he answered causing them to cringe away from the hatch.

"We've got baddies!" Pointed forward on the train as dozens of White Fang members climb onto the top of the train.

"Well, I didn't expect them to go—" Oobleck stops when the bomb charges up and starts beeping "—easy on us" he stands up abruptly "Time to go!"

"Blake! Detach the caboose! It will kill us all!" Slade yelled jumping onto the next car.

"On it" Blake jumps down onto the connectors and gets ready to cut the connection, but as she does, the connection comes loose on its own "Huh?" she looked up at Slade "It decoupled itself!"

"What?!"

"I guess he really doesn't want us on this train" Yang yelled. Slade looks back at the detached cart, it explodes in the tunnel.

"That's not good..." Oobleck breathed out concerned.

"Err, neither is this!" Ruby yelled standing next to another open hatch.

"Another bomb?!" Oobleck asked.

Slade looked around then ran to the next train car "No. No. No." he opens the hatch and looks up to the team "They all have bombs!" he yelled. The bomb under Team RWBY charges up and starts beeping and the cart they're on detaches itself, forcing Team RWBY to run to the next cart.

"This doesn't make sense!" Yang yelled confused.

The train car exploded opening a hole in the tunnel allowing Grimm inside "Oh dear... he's leading Grimm to the city!" Oobleck yelled.

"What?" Weiss asked surprised.

"It's the cars!" Oobleck yelled.

"Of course! They detach and explode leaving openings for the Grimm!" Slade concluded.

"That's insane!" Blake yelled.

"You're dealing with people hell bent on destruction and chaos, Blake. Sanity doesn't fit into the picture" Slade groaned.

"We have to hurry!" Oobleck yelled "You three, go below and see what you can do about these bombs!" he ordered pointing to Blake, Yang, and Weiss.

"What about us?" Ruby asked.

"We're going to stop this train" he answered.

"Yeah, I know. I said that earlier" Ruby joked rushing forward with them.

"Up ahead!" Oobleck yelled pointing to two paladins on top of the train "We have a problem!"

"We can take them" Ruby confidently removed Crescent Rose.

"You two go on ahead!" Oobleck ordered.

"But-"

"Don't worry, you two. It's time... I taught them a lesson" Oobleck grinned rushing the two paladins. Ruby and Slade ran toward the front of the train being stopped by White Fang members climbing atop the train from below.

"Get going, Ruby. I can handle these guys, you need to stop the train"

"But-"

"Ruby, too many people are going to get hurt if we don't stop this train. Go" he ordered. Ruby nodded hesitantly using her semblance to get past them "Come and get it boys" Slade taunted, gesturing for them to attack him.

The first charged him stabbing his blade for Slade's chest. Slade sidestepped the blade grabbing his arm and punching him in the throat, followed by a head-butt and a knee to his abdomen causing him to double over in pain and finishing by slamming his knee into his face throwing him over the side of the train. The second fired his rifle only to have it kicked from his hands off the train, Slade grabbed his left arm holding it out stiffly and slammed his right fist into his elbow breaking it, placing his hand on the back of his head he slammed his knee into his face as he pushed his head down toward his knee, knocking him unconscious.

"That all you guys got? I'm disappointed. Two charged him with clubs in hand swinging for his head and his chest. Catching the club in his right hand he slammed his left hand into the other member's abdomen causing him to double over in pain, using his left leg he kicked the first's legs out from under him knocking him onto his back. Grabbing his leg as he fell with both hands he kicked his foot into his knee breaking his leg then turned on the other member. Grabbing his leg as he stood he slammed his fist into his knee shattering it then forced him onto his back and kicked out the backside of the same knee crushing the bones in his leg painfully. Charging another as he cringed from the sight of his allies, Slade backhanded him then kneed him in the chest knocking him onto his knees, removing his pistol from beneath his coat he fired it into the mans head.

"Only two left? I'm disappointed, I was just starting to have some fun" Slade taunted. Both nodded to each other before charging him with only their fists. Slade grabbed the first by his arm swinging him around as he charged he slammed into his partner knocking her both off balance. Coming between them both as they stumbled back he slammed their arms down over his shoulder breaking them then slamming the back of his hands into their chest earning a cry of pain from each of them. Turning he punched the women on his left in the chest doubling her over in pain then turned and did the same to man on his right. Leaping forward as he twisted in the air he slammed his fists into the back of their heads slamming them into the train roof.

"That was easy" he sighed catching his breath.

"Slade!" Ruby's worried voice called "You're gonna want to see this" Slade rushed to Ruby's side as Blake, Weiss, and Yang all climbed up next to them from below looking ahead at the stone wall at the end of the tunnel.

"The Brakes aren't going to help us" Yang said showing them in her hand.

"Torchwick really wants this train to crash" Weiss groaned.

"What do we do?" Blake asked worriedly as he wall came closer.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled in realization.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Your semblance!"

"what about-" Slade stopped looking her in the eye he caught on quick "No! I cant! I haven't even figured out how to control it on myself yet, let alone an entire train!" he protested shaking his head emphatically.

"We're out of time and options. If we don't stop this train, a lot of people are going to get hurt" Ruby pleaded "We have to do something"

Slade stared ahead at the concrete wall coming ever closer "Weiss, you know what to do" he nodded toward her. Weiss encased the group in a shield of ice as Slade slammed his hands down onto the train roof. Closing his eyes he focused a thin black mist emanated off him as he did his face contorting from the strain.

"What's he doing?" Yang asked not understanding.

"Saving Vale" Ruby answered much to the confusion of the rest of the team. The concrete wall came closer every second, Slade yelled from the exertion just before they crashed into the wall. Suddenly their surroundings changed from a dark tunnel to a brightly lit forest, the train turned on its side sliding through the woods crashing through trees to a stop. The group fell from the train as it stopped most of them rolling onto their stomachs as they landed.

"What just happened?" Weiss asked standing up as she looked around at the forest surrounding them "How did we get here?"

Slade sat on his knees panting exhaustedly as he struggled to stand up. Falling onto one knee, Ruby caught him almost toppling over herself, she helped him stand back up with Yang's help.

"I do believe Mr. Stroud just saved the city from a grievous Grimm attack. I never thought I would see such a unique ability in all my years" Oobleck answered in awe.

"What the hell just happened, what's going on!" Roman yelled exiting the train "Why is the train in the middle of a forest and not a city? Did Perry give me the wrong tracks!?" he continued ranting stepping off the train.

"You've failed Torchwick, the city is safe and you're coming with us" Blake proclaimed holding her blade outstretched toward him.

"Am I now? As fun as this has been-" Roman was suddenly suspended in the air by Slade standing in front of him holding him by the throat.

"You almost killed hundreds of people with this attack. Who're you working for?" Slade demanded still catching his breath.

"You move fast, kid. I'll give you that, but you're not strong enough to mess with the big kids"

"Who's in charge?" he asked again lowering him to eye level.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked grinning, Slade raised his eyebrow expectantly "You're looking at him" he answered laughing. Slade slammed him into the train moving his hands to his coat collar.

"Watch the hat" Roman protested.

"You're about to be spending a lot of time in prison, Torchwick. I'd advise you help yourself out. Give me a name" Roman laughed in response.

"You think I'm afraid of your petty prisons? That's nothing compared to what's in store for me if I give up my employer"

"So you admit you're working for someone?"

"You think I would be working with those filthy animals from the White Fang otherwise? They're all worthless-"

"I'd watch your mouth, Roman... I don't take kindly to Faunus haters" he warned.

"Yes, yes, you're very intimidating. Look, kid, if you want to stand a chance against those I work for, you're going to have to do a lot better than you have been. You couldn't even take Neo and I, you really think you could handle them?" Torchwick asked.

"I suppose we'll find out" Slade answered releasing him. Roman looked at his clothes in annoyance.

"Look at what you've gone and done to my-" he was interrupted by Yang punching him in the face knocking him unconscious.

"Does he ever stop talking?" she asked her eyes flaring red.

"For someone who talks so much, he gives out very little information" Slade agreed.

"Unfortunate that we cannot connect him and the White Fang with your suspect. I suppose we'll just have to keep an eye on her team" Oobleck sighed.

"What should we do about those tunnels?" Slade asked.

"What do you mean? They're sealed" Weiss pointed out.

"They're packed full of Grimm, what happens if one day that seal breaks?" Blake asked.

"Ozpin will know what to do about it" Ruby assured with a smile "The good news is: We've got Torchwick and stopped the White Fang from attacking the city with an army of Grimm!" she cheered excitedly causing Zwei to bark happily at her antics.

* * *

"Well we did it" Yang sighed in relief as she and her team sat on the edge of Beacon's landing platform.

"We did it" Blake agreed.

"If we don't get extra credit for that, I'm gonna be seriously disappointed" Weiss added.

"Extra credit for doing our job?" Slade asked raising his eyebrow with a smirk.

"It could happen!" she argued.

"I wouldn't count on it" yang laughed.

"We didn't solve everything, a lot of people could've been hurt today if it wasn't for Slade at the end there. We still don't have anything connecting Cinder and Torchwick to each other" Ruby sighed laying on her back.

"Well not every story has a neat and tidy ending" Weiss offered.

"We might not have all the answers, but we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars. And I think that's something we could be proud of" Blake said with a genuine smile.

"Yeah! And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them" Ruby agreed enthusiastically. Yang laid down on her back.

"Yay, teamwork, camaraderie, good guys, go team, alright, good job... So, what now?"

"I suggest training for the tournament, but I guess we have that covered at this point" Weiss pointed out.

"So then..." Blake let the sentence hang.

"Uhh... Time for bed?" Ruby offered.

"Please" Yang agreed.

"Absolutely" Blake laughed.

"Yes" Weiss nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm going to sleep forever" she proclaimed happily.

"You coming, Slade?" Ruby asked as the group got up to leave.

"Maybe later, I have something to take care of first" he answered "Later" he waved before vanishing.

"What was that about?" Yang asked.

"Who knows, Slade's always going off somewhere. You'd think he could just enjoy being called a hero without fidgeting so much" Weiss answered with a shrug.

"His aversion to the spotlight is understandable given his upbringing" Blake offered.

"I hope he's okay" Ruby worriedly sighed.

"I'm sure he's fine" Yang tried comforting her sister by pulling her along "He's probably just worried about the tournament. He is fighting alone after all"

* * *

"That's everything?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes, Professor. Everything we were able to obtain from Mr. Torchwick"

"You're dismissed" Ozpin looked over the file with great interest.

"Of course, sir... I must admit, I have never seen a more capable team of students here at the school in all my years of teaching. I hope you realize how fortunate you are" he added just before leaving the room.

"I must agree with Oobleck's assessment, Professor" Glynda said turning toward him.

"Indeed... they certainly acceded what has been expected of them at every turn. Stopping an attack on the city, even incarcerating Roman Torchwick. They've been the ones keeping Vale from descending into chaos. Fitting for future defenders of the world"

"As successful as they have been, I must be the voice of reason here" Ironwood spoke up.

"What could you possibly need to add here, James?" Glynda asked exasperated.

"Slade Stroud was able to transport an entire locomotive with his semblance. He could prove to be a powerful asset or a frightening adversary"

"What are you proposing General?" Ozpin asked suspiciously.

"I think we should keep him out of the tournament. If the world sees his power then we'd never be able to surprise an enemy with it-"

"You're asking me to keep him from participating in the tournament because you're frightened you wont be able to use him as a weapon or assassin?"

"Oz-"

"I will not, James. He is a Huntsman as much as he is a child, restricting him in anyway right now would simply sow the seeds of mistrust between us. He trusts me right now and I would like to keep it that way, we'd have never caught Torchwick or been made aware of Ms. Fall if not for him. We need to keep him on our side before anything else, he is a person not a weapon"

"I know that, I just feel people would wish to exploit him if they discovered his powers-"

"You're the only one here who would seek to exploit him" Glynda growled "Anyone else tries and makes him do something he isn't comfortable with will be lucky to still be breathing by the end of the day"

"You truly believe I would exploit him?" Ironwood asked.

"You believe otherwise" Slade asked from behind them, startling the group.

"How long have you been there?" Ozpin asked.

"Long enough to know my mistrust of General Ironwood is well founded. Professor I wish to ask you for a favor"

"Of course-"

"Not you" Slade interrupted Ozpin turning to Glynda "You"

"Me?" she asked surprised.

"I know Professor Ozpin is going to be busy during the tournament and won't be available for our private sessions. I was hoping you or another could fill in for him"

Glynda looked over to Ozpin who nodded with a small smile "I would be happy to help you, although I may not have the time during the tournament either. I promise you will have another Huntsman to teach you while the tournament is partaking here"

"Thank you... Professors, General" he practically spat the last word before vanishing once again.

"I think you should leave, James. I believe you have a prisoner to interrogate" Ozpin made sure he knew it wasn't a suggestion.

"I... yes, Ozpin" he relented exiting the room quickly. Ozpin sighed in relief as he left.

"You really think Slade is up for it?" Glynda asked.

"He's finally unlocked his semblance. Now all he needs is to learn to use it effectively in battle and he may become unstoppable"

"You think he can beat her?"

"I think he's the one with the best chance of getting close enough to try"

* * *

"Slade Stroud... again" Cinder seethed.

"He's proving to be a thorn in our side" Mercury sighed.

"First he rejects my offer to join us, then he begins interfering with our dust robberies and my infiltration during the dance two days ago. Now he's incarcerated Roman Torchwick and most of the White Fang members working with us" Cinder ranted pacing back and forth on the rooftop.

"I told you we should've killed him" Mercury pointed out.

"Merc!" Emerald whispered sternly not wishing to anger Cinder further.

"He's going to die one way or another"

"We lost a lot of Faunus in those tunnels with the train, you really think the White Fang is going to listen to us anymore?" Mercury asked curiously.

"No... but they'll listen to me" Adam Taurus answered from behind them with Neo standing beside him "Who's this Slade I keep hearing about?" he asked.

"A particularly large and powerful thorn in our side. He's on the same team as your old flame" Cinder answered.

"Then I shall be the one to kill him"

"Get in line" Mercury scoffed.

"I could care less who kills him so long as he is dead!" Cinder growled.

"Have no fear, I shall present his head for you on the edge of my blade" Adam grinned unsheathing his katana.

"Wait until we have the Grimm at our back, we should be able to catch him off guard then. Make sure he doesn't survive" Cinder ordered seething in anger.


	12. Perfect Storm

**Finally moving into the tournament! I put quite some thought and time into creating these fights between the characters for these next few chapters, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed writing them! Thank you guys so much for all the support you've been giving me as I continue writing. You're the best!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven: Perfect Storm**

"Hey, mom. Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been... well, things have been, pretty busy. Oh, Dad's here, too! He's, uh, you know... Dad." she shrugged continuing "He's still teaching at Signal. But he told me that he's going to be on some mission soon. I think he misses adventuring with you" her face turns forlorn "I miss you too" she paused before continuing.

"Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet! So that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps. I Keep her in line... That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter! You can tell she's learned a lot from Dad! Oh, so are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my teammates! Together, we form Team RWBY! And yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion especially since there is five of us since Slade joined. Slade is... well he's my b-boyfriend... he's very handsome and kind, smart too, that usually helps during his fights, which he always seems to win" she groaned lightly. Ruby felt awkward talking about Slade even though she knew she was talking to herself, she never really imagined boys would be interested in her, she was genuinely surprised when Slade asked her to the dance.

"Anyways, I made a bunch of new friends, and then I met some... let's just say, uh, odd teachers. Oh! We've also stopped some bad guys, too! I guess it's like they say: "like mother, like daughter"! I still wonder why Ozpin let me into the school early. But uh, I guess he'll tell me one day. You know how he is. It's funny, the more I get to know him, the more he's starting to sound like Uncle Qrow" A bark alerts her to the ever-adorable Zwei and the sight of her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, in the trees behind her.

"Oh! Looks like Dad's back! I gotta go! He's dropping me off at Beacon for the tournament match before he goes on his next mission. Wish me luck!" She puts her hood on and starts to walk away, but turns and delivers one final message to her mother "It was good to talk"

"Hey" Tai greeted with a stern look.

"Hey, Dad... what's with the look?" she asked nervously.

"Boyfriend?" Tai asked not changing his expression.

"Oh... you heard that did you?" Ruby asked rubbing the nap of her neck sheepishly "I promise I was going to tell you... he wants to meet you anyway"

"He wants to meet me? That's a new one" Tai chuckled as they walked.

"He's not like most guys, Dad" she smiled.

"When will I be meeting him then?" Tai asked elbowing her in the side jokingly.

"You can see him fight during the tournament!" she said excitedly.

"Ozpin is letting a team of five fight four?" he asked surprised.

"No, of course not. He's letting Slade fight a team of four on his own" she answered as if it was obvious.

"Ah, of course... I should've known" he said looking at her with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Slade said he'll be waiting for me when I get off the airship. His match will be up first today. We go after him" Ruby explained.

"Perhaps I will tag along to watch the fights then" Tai grinned "And meet him of course"

"Please don't be weird" Ruby pleaded with puppy dog eyes. Zwei barked at her excitedly "Zwei and Yang like him, that should be enough right?" she asked hopeful.

"Zwei likes everyone, and Yang isn't your father. I might be persuaded if Qrow liked him"

"Maybe he will!" she argued.

"Qrow doesn't like anybody" Tai laughed in response.

"He likes me and Yang!" Ruby protested crossing her arms.

"Who likes me?" Yang asked as they arrived at the airship.

"Uncle Qrow" Ruby answered hugging her sister "Dad wants to meet Slade" she added releasing her hold on Yang.

"Yikes"

"Why yikes? When I was your age... on second thought I should be happy your both not parents" Tai laughed.

"Dad!" Ruby and Yang yelled embarrassed.

"Trust me, Slade would never get the chance" Yang whispered to her father reassuringly.

"Yang!"

"Relax" Tai said holding his hands up in surrender "I promise I won't try and scare him off if he doesn't give me reason to" he held one hand over his heart.

"Thank you" Ruby sighed still slightly nervous.

The airship took them to the stadium, Slade could be seen waiting on the landing platform waving as it landed.

"Please don't do anything weird" Ruby said again as the doors opened.

"Me? Weird? I would never" he joked as Zwei ran past him barking excitedly at Slade.

"Hey, buddy" Slade chuckled lowering himself to the dog's level petting him gently with one hand.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled excitedly tackling him to the ground in a hug as he stood back up.

"Not that I am complaining, Ruby. But just once would you mind not tackling me to the floor?" he asked laughing as he helped her up.

"Nope!" she answered grinning back at him.

"Told you" Yang laughed "She does it to everyone, you'll get used to it" Yang assured punching him in the shoulder.

"I already am, it's my back that'll never get used to it" he joked feigning injury.

"You're boyfriend seems nice" Tai chuckled approaching him.

"Mr. Xiao Long. It's a pleasure to meet you" Slade said surprised, extending his hand toward him.

"Is it? Not many boys want to meet their girlfriend's parents. Most would rather avoid it"

"Well, I guess I'm not most boys" he shrugged off "Will you be staying for the fights?" he asked curiously.

"I will... is that a problem?"

"Not at all, sir. I'm looking forward to the fight myself"

"Who're you up against?" he asked.

"Team MARN (Maroon) from Shade Academy" Slade answered.

"You confident Mr. Stroud?"

"One against four? I'd be concerned if they made it a challenge" he laughed confidently.

"Bold words, I hope you can back them up"

"Judge for yourself, sir. I wont disappoint"

"We shall see"

"Dad" Ruby groaned.

"Will your parents be attending the fights as well?" Tai asked trying to be polite, Ruby and Yang waved their hands in front of they're face trying to warn him.

"I rather doubt it" he answered.

"Why is that?" Tai asked confused.

"They're dead" he answered.

"Oh... I had not heard-"

"It's ok, it was a long time ago. Talking about it doesn't bother me anymore" he assured placing his hand onto Tai's shoulder.

"Would Slade Stroud please report to the battlegrounds immediately!" Port's voice came over the intercom.

"Yes! Like he was scheduled to, several minuets ago" Oobleck's voice added.

"Sounds like I should get going, enjoy the fight" Slade called as he left, kissing Ruby on the cheek as he went passed.

"Good luck!" Ruby yelled after him.

"He doesn't need luck" Yang laughed.

"You really think he's going to win a match against four students?" Tai asked curiously.

"He beat Pyrrha and made it look almost easy, he will be fine" Yang assured as they walked to their seats. Weiss and Blake were waiting with Team JNPR with three open seats.

"What took you guys so long?" Weiss asked impatiently before noticing Tai "Who's this?" she asked.

"This is Dad. Dad, this is Weiss and Blake" Yang introduced gesturing to her teammates.

"Now I've met the whole team" Tai said shaking their hands.

"This is our friends team JNPR!" Ruby called gesturing toward them "This is Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren" she introduced pointing to them as she said their names.

"It's nice to meet you all-" Tai waved.

"Oooh, the match is starting!" Ruby yelled interrupting him and jumping into her seat excitedly.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a special match for you today!" Port's voice announced excitedly.

"Indeed, Peter. Today we have team MARN of Shade Academy up against Beacon's very own Slade Stroud!" Oobleck announced confusing the crowd as Slade waves out toward the crowd walking to the center to meet his opponents.

"You may be wondering why there is only one fighter against a team of four... just wait and see!" Port yelled excitedly smashing his fist into the table.

"What're they just handing us this match?" asked one of Slade's competitors. He wore a large blue jacket and blue pants with black boots his jacket open revealing his toned figure and a pair of goggles resting on his forehead with a red flame symbol on the top of them. His brown hair was slicked back, he had fairly pale skin and blue eyes. On his back rested a dark blue rifle with a flame symbol on the side.

"Looks like we've got an easy win" his teammate agreed laughing. She wore a black combat skirt with yellow trim throughout and a mushroom cloud symbol above her waist matching with her heels. Her hair was a light blonde with green eyes and tan complexion. She had a large rocket launcher on her back.

"If he's fighting by himself, he must be formidable. Don't underestimate him" warned another. He had a similar mask on his face to Slade's with deep red armor covering his body from head to toe and a sash over his forehead with a wolf's head symbol on it. He was fair skinned with spikey red hair and dark brown eyes. He had a small sword sheathed on his back.

"Lighten up, Marel" scoffed his final teammate "Amaranth and Raj could take him. The four of us will have no problem" she added. She wore a sleeveless dark purple dress with an asymmetrical hem and brown armor underneath covering her arms, chest and legs, with a pauldron on each shoulder with a glass mirror symbol on her left one and armored boots with a heel in the back and two circlets around her wrists. She was fair skinned with black hair and red eyes.

"Your confidence will be your undoing, Nebula" Marel shot back.

"Are you going to talk all day or are we going to fight?" Slade asked raising an eyebrow from beneath his sunglasses.

"Ho ho! Looks like things are getting heated between our contestants lets move this along shall we?" Port asked.

"Indeed, I do believe that is the best course of action" Oobleck agreed.

The holographic roulette appeared showing them their selection to be forest terrain and the second to be a symbol of tidal waves.

"Forest and ocean? This match up will be interesting!" Port's voice called excitedly.

"3...2...1... Begin!" Oobleck counted down.

"Guess we'll see how good your boyfriend really is" Tai mused aloud leaning forward.

"I think you'll be impressed" Ruby said confidently "Go, Slade! Kick their butts!" she yelled excitedly.

"Raj!" Marel yelled as the three of them ran towards the trees.

"On it!" he yelled back placing his goggles over his eyes he spat a large fireball from his mouth at Slade forcing him to jump backwards into the water to avoid it. Slade jumped back out on the opposite end running toward the trees as another fireball came soaring toward him exploding on impact.

"It appears Rajah has decided to use his semblance from the get go!" Port announced.

"Things are not looking good for Mr. Stroud" Oobleck agreed. Slade emerged from the smoke cloud of the previous explosion sliding to a stop. Another fireball soared toward him, Slade jumped over the fireball onto a nearby tree branch. Suddenly he watched as multiple smaller fireballs soared toward his current position as if anticipating his movements. Slade flipped forward onto a nearby tree trunk then pushed off back flipping in the air he drew his pistol and fired several shots lodging them all into the tree next to Rajah causing him to stumble out of the tree he was hiding in.

"That wasn't very hard" Slade sighed looking down at him from the tree "You shouldn't use your semblance so obviously, people can create countermeasures to it easily if you use it so blatantly" Slade explained. His ears perked up when he heard something soaring toward him, looking up he saw a rocket flying his way. Jumping back off the tree he narrowly escaped the blast.

 _Nice strategy_ he thought with a smirk as he flipped backwards into his landing.

"Rajah, he's at two o'clock" Amaranth pointed forward reloading her launcher.

"Got it" Rajah fired another fireball, Slade smirked once more standing perfectly still as the fireball collided with him, exploding on impact.

"Did he just-" Tai tried to ask.

"Keep watching" Weiss said without moving her eyes from the ring.

"We got him!" Rajah cheered loudly.

"Told you this would be easy" Amaranth agreed. They both suddenly turned around when they heard someone clear their throat, Slade stood with his arms crossed.

"Almost had me there" he mocked.

"How did you..." the question hung in the air. Rajah stood charging him with his fist, Slade smashed his hilt into Rajah's chest then spin kicked him in the face knocking him down, picking up Amaranth by the back of her neck her dragged them both to the edge of the ring and dropped them off the side much to their protest.

"It appears, Amaranth and Rajah of team MARN have been eliminated by knockout!" Port announced.

"Looks like your boyfriend has some tricks up his sleeve. Not sure why the rest of their team didn't help out earlier though" Tai wondered aloud.

"They don't seem like they get along too well" Blake agreed. Slade looked around as he walked through the forest area. Looking to his left he unsheathed his blade and held it out in front of him deflecting a knife thrown at him.

 _Good timing_

Marel suddenly stabbed his blade toward his chest, Slade sidestepped the attack. Placing his palm onto Marel's back he flipped himself over him then blocked a second strike with his gauntlet having sheathed his blade once more.

"You're going to lose here!" Marel yelled striking furiously.

"You've been hiding for quite some time, trying to gauge my abilities?" Slade asked ducking back under a strike, the standing firmly as he blocked another attack.

"I knew letting them attack you would draw out your abilities while I watched safely. Now I know what you can do and I'm prepared for it" Marel explained through gritted teeth.

"That's why you were waiting for me to defeat them? I must say for a group called team MARN you certainly don't act like a team"

"What're you talking about?"

"First you let your two weakest members strike out so you can get a closer look at my capabilities, and now Nebula is doing the same thing with you. A good team supports each other by holding the other up together. Your team only keeps itself up by pulling yourselves over the other members" Slade answered.

"Says the one fighting on his own"

"Pot, kettle" Slade replied kicking Marel in the chest throwing him back. Marel threw a grenade at Slade forcing him to flip over the explosion. Looking down he noticed several more waiting behind the bush he flipped over.

"Got you!" Marel yelled as they exploded. Slade landed on a nearby tree branch watching the explosion from afar. Knifes flew his way through the dust cloud, he easily blocked them all with his blade. Marel appeared behind him kicking for his face. Slade twisted his arm around to block the kick with his gauntlet as he tossed the blade from his right hand to his left.

Marel pushed off onto the tree from his arm then axe kicked down at Slade as he backed out of the way. Marel punched for his face with both arms afterward having them both be blocked effortlessly, kneeing toward his chest then outstretching his leg to kick spinning around to kick again with his opposite leg. Slade move away from his attacks then flipped onto his hands to avoid the final kick to his face. Marel swept his legs toward his head as he landed, Slade pushed off his hands landing easily on his legs.

Marel flipped forward kicking for his face again, Slade caught his leg in his right hand then ducked back under his opposite leg as it swung around. Slade grabbed Marel's legs and slammed him through the tree branch and into the ground. Once the dust cleared Slade slammed his fist into Marel's chest with as much force as he could.

"It appears Marel has been eliminated due to aura level" Oobleck pointed out.

"That's three for Slade and zero for MARN" Port agreed "What will happen next? Can Nebula take Slade on her own?"

"I suppose we'll find out" Slade chuckled, stopping he abruptly twisted around slicing his blade through Nebula's head causing no damage "What the?" she grabbed his arm just after her own passed through his.

"Hoho! Nebula's semblance has been revealed!" Port announced.

"Quite so. Nebula's ability to phase through attacks is quite astonishing, no one has learned the secret behind combating it. Let's see how Slade fares" Oobleck explained.

"You took down my entire team. You're stronger than I imagined... but I am invincible" Slade kicked her chest forcing her to phase through it after contact, escaping from her grasp jumping as far away as he could.

"You can only pass through attacks after they've made contact with you. You won't be able to dodge all of my attacks" Slade analyzed aloud "Let's see just how strong you are"

Nebula's circlets connected a bright blue chain from each one forming behind her back as she charged. Slade charged her as well stabbing his blade through her, after passing through the chain made contact with his chest, Slade fired his pistol backward into her shoulder causing her to yell out in pain. Using his blade he sliced through the chain.

 _Her chain weakened after she was hurt. Creating a weapon out of your own aura can be dangerous when not regulated correctly. She relies too heavily on her semblance to be able to balance them both simultaneously, I may have just found my opening_

"Simply incredible! Nebula has been hurt!" Oobleck yelled shocked.

Nebula turned around growling angrily "You got lucky there, you won't be again"

 _She's able to pass through attacks after they make contact but has to become solid again to attack me. I have to aim for a mutual strike, precisely timed. But she knows she is vulnerable when she attacks, she'll be cautious not to get too close when I am armed. Considering the time remaining in the match, she won't want a lengthy battle either_

Slade charged forward holstering his pistol as Nebula charged him

 _Whoever attacks an instant quicker than the other will win this!_ he concluded throwing his blade forward it passed through her head. Nebula's hand reached for his throat as the blade finished passing through her head.

"I win" she grinned just before she made contact. Slade suddenly vanished reappearing above her catching his blade in his right hand and slamming his leg down with a powerful kick on her back crushing her into the ground. Flipping in the air he placed his hand onto her back vanishing again they both appeared outside the ring before he appeared back inside the ring again, spinning his blade in his hand he stopped it above his sheathe and slid it into place.

"I-I'm not sure what just happened" Port admitted confused.

"Nebula appears to have been eliminated by... knockout?" Oobleck asked in awe "Simply astonishing, it appears the winner is Slade Stroud!" he announced clapping his hands together excitedly.

"How did he do that? What did he even do?" Tai asked. The screen above them replayed the scene slower and slower each time until they were able to see what happened.

"Slade's semblance is teleportation" Yang answered with a smirk.

"Woohoo! Way to go Slade!" Ruby cheered being joined by the rest of the crowd shortly after.

"I'll be honest... I never expected him to win" Tai admitted.

"We know. No one who doesn't know him would've expected it" Jaune assured "We only know because we're his friends"

"Interesting" Tai mused aloud leading them out of the stands and out toward where Slade had been waiting.

"You were amazing!" Ruby yelled jumping into his arms once more almost knocking him off balance.

"Thank you, Ruby... but I didn't do anything that great, they did most of the work for me by not working together like a team. Had they done that I probably would've lost"

"Lost? Don't sell yourself short, kid. You might've had a harder time, but you probably still would've come out on top" Tai assured coming out to see him and his daughters.

"I think our dad likes you" Yang whispered giving him a thumbs up.

"You're certainly not what I was expecting when I found out Ruby had a boyfriend" Tai admitted "I'm glad of all the boys she could've chosen that she chose you"

"See? I told you your dad would like me" Slade said mouthing a thank you to Tai.

"Well I guess you were right. Nothing to be nervous over" she sheepishly rubbed the nape of her neck. Tai slung his arm around his shoulder as Ruby released him.

"If you ever break my daughter's heart, there isn't anywhere in the world you can hide from me" Tai warned quietly.

 _I've heard this somewhere before haven't I?_

"She scares me more than you do, sir" Slade admitted with a smirk matching his volume.

"Glad to hear it"

* * *

"Your sister is here?" Slade asked surprised as Weiss ran over to the landing platform with Ruby just behind him.

"Winter!" Weiss called as they approached the elder Schnee "Winter! I'm so happy to see you! Oh..." Weiss suddenly curtsies "Your presence honors us"

Winter looked around them taking in her surroundings "Beacon... It's been a long time. The air feels... different"

"I mean it is fall, so, eh, it's probably colder" Ruby pointed out, Weiss punches her in the shoulder, causing her to gasp in pain before turning back to her sibling.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"Classified" was her crisp reply.

"Oh, right. Well, how long are you staying?"

"Classified" she said again stressing the word.

"Of course" Weiss smiles and nods in understanding. Ruby looks pensively around in the silence

"Well... this is nice... I think"

"You're going to love it here! I know you travel a lot, but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas!" Weiss excitedly tells then discreetly whispers "Vale, too" then continues excitedly "The government and school are completely separate! Can you believe it!? I-"

"I'm more than familiar with how this kingdom handles its... bureaucracy. That is not why I came" Winter snapped sternly.

"Right! I'm sorry!"

"Nor did I come here to watch my own blood fail so miserably in battle. But it appears that I have no choice in the matter" she continued rudely, earning a dark glare from Slade.

"But, we won!" Weiss argued puzzled.

"Only a novice would refer to that as a victory. I counted at least three strikes missed" Winter chastised turning toward the AK-200s behind her "Leave us" The AK-200s obey, walking two steps backwards into formation as she sighs and smiles a little more warmly at Weiss "How have you been?"

"Oh, splendid! Thank you for asking. I'm actually in the very top ranking of our sparring class! And the rest of my studies are going wonderfully, too! I'm-" Weiss began answering excitedly.

Winter slapped Weiss "Silence, you boob! I don't recall asking about your ranking, I'm asking how you've been. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"

"Well, there's Ruby" Weiss answered gesturing to her.

Ruby giggled "Heh, boob"

"I see. So this is the leader you wrote of. How appropriately... underwhelming" Slade's anger was beginning to boil over.

"Uh... Thank you!"

"Greetings, Ruby Rose. I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister"

"Oh! Uh, yes, of course!" Ruby replied attempting to salute and curtsy "The honor is in my... court!" Ruby nearly lost her balance with this gesture causing her to flail her arms until Slade used his hand to catch her, she laughed nervously.

"You are?" Winter asked looking toward Slade.

"This is Slade!" Weiss answered happily.

"This is the teammate you've told me so much about? I admit you're much younger than I pictured you" Winter stated in a condescending manner.

"You annoy me" Slade replied keeping his voice level.

"Excuse me?" Winter asked surprised.

"Reintroduce us once your sister learns some manners" Slade said toward Weiss storming off angrily.

"What's with him?" Weiss asked Ruby, who shrugged in response.

"I have business with the General and your Headmaster. But, seeing as I am early, why don't you take me to your quarters?" Winter proposed.

"Really?" Weiss asked hopeful.

"Yes. I wish to inspect them and make sure they're up to my own personal standards" she answered walking forward, the androids following at a distance.

"Of course. Just so you are aware, the bunk beds only look unstable"

"Bunk beds?" Winter asked as if the idea was disgusting. Ruby waved to them as they left.

"I'll catch up- I mean, I will... reconvene with you both... at a later..." she pauses with her hand on her head, wracking her brain for the right word "juncture!" she yells raising her finger "At a juncture. Yeah" she mused to herself as she walked off in the direction Slade left in.

* * *

Qrow stood in the courtyard placing his blade on his back as Winter prepared to charge with one of her glyphs. Qrow gestured for her to come closer with his finger causing Winter to launch herself forward screaming in rage. Winter's blade came into contact with another mere inches away from Qrow's neck as a loud thundering voice yelled.

"SCHNEE!" Qrow looked down in front of him in surprise to see Slade standing there with his blade blocking Winter's.

"General Ironwood, sir!" Winter addresses turning around to face him sheathing her blade.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Ironwood asked sternly.

"He started the altercation, sir!" she answered. Qrow places his hands behind his head in a relaxed stance.

"That's actually not true. She attacked first" Qrow interjected.

"Is that right?" Ironwood asked. Winter searched for words before realizing Qrow was correct, she looked away in shame "And you" Ironwood says addressing Qrow.

Qrow points to himself in mock confusion "What're you doing here?" Ironwood asked venomously.

"I could be asking you the same thing" Qrow shot back.

"I-"

"Now, now, everyone" Ozpin interjected with Glynda beside him "There is a sanctioned fight happening just around the corner at the coliseum, that I can assure you has better seats... and popcorn" he explained swirling the cocoa in his mug.

"Break it up, everyone! We will take care of this mess" Glynda added glaring at the four of them.

"Let's go" Ironwood ordered as he and Winter left.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yelled leaping giddily onto his arm shaking her legs in delight. Qrow looks at her as she swings on his arm.

"Uncle?" Slade asked confused as he turned around.

"Hi" Ruby said as Qrow's eyes met hers "It's so good to see you! Did you miss me? Did you miss me?!" she asked excitedly.

"Nope" Qrow answered giving his own grin as he pats her head.

"Qrow!" Ozpin's voice called "A word please" he said as Qrow dropped Ruby. Glynda was repairing the courtyard with her semblance.

"I think I'm in trouble" Qrow whispered to Ruby discreetly.

"You did kind of tear up our courtyard"

"Yeah... I did do that" he relented "Catch ya later kid" he winks giving her a fist bump.

"Suddenly you're recklessness makes sense" Weiss pointed out approaching Ruby.

"You're just mad because he whooped butt" Ruby nudged her shoulder.

"That was a draw at best!" she argued.

"Ruby's grin says otherwise" Slade laughed.

"Mr. Stroud" Ozpin's voice caught his attention "Join us, we have something to talk about" he explained gesturing for him to follow.

"Are you in trouble?" Ruby asked.

"What for being a good person?" Slade asked with a wink "I'll see you later" he added kissing her quickly on the lips before leaving.

* * *

Slade, Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow exited the elevator into the office.

"What were you thinking!? Winter yelled angrily.

"If you were one of my men, I would have you shot!" Ironwood agreed. Qrow pulled out his flask as he entered the room.

"If I was one of your men, I'd shoot myself" Slade struggled to conceal his laughter at Qrow's comment.

"While I wouldn't condone his behavior, retaliating like you did certainly didn't help the situation" Glynda lectured Winter.

"He was drunk!" Winter argued.

"He's always drunk!" Glynda yelled back. The five turn to Qrow to see him drinking from a flask. His eyes widen when he notices them staring, and he holds the flask out to the side, looking at it awkwardly before grimacing. staring at Qrow in shock, then sighs and sits down.

"Qrow, why are you here?"

"You've been out of contact for weeks! You can't just go dark like that in the field!" Ironwood yelled.

"I'm not one of your special operatives, Jimmy!" Qrow pushed past him.

"General" Winter growled. "Whatever. You sent me to get intel on our enemy, and I'm telling you, our enemy is here."

"We know" Ironwood says leaning against Ozpin's desk.

"Oh! Oh, you know! Well, thank goodness I'm out there risking my life to keep you all informed!"

"Qrow-" Ironwood began before being interrupted.

"Communication's a two-way street, pal. You see this?" Qrow pulled out his scroll "That's the send button"

"They had reason to assume you were compromised" Winter answered his unasked question.

"I have reason to assume you don't need to be here. Seriously who invited her?" Qrow asked gesturing to Winter "Or the kid for that matter?" he added gesturing to Slade.

"I like him. Why have we not met before?" Slade asked gesturing to Qrow.

After a moment of silence, without looking at her Ironwood spoke "Schnee, we'll discuss this incident back at my ship"

"But, sir!" Winter protested surprised.

"Winter. Leave" he ordered sternly.

"Yes sir" She saluted then turned on her heel and gives the winking Qrow a dirty look as she exits via the elevator.

"Slade, this is Qrow Branwen. Ruby's uncle" Ozpin introduced.

"Pleasure" Slade smirked.

"Should I care who this kid is?" Qrow asked.

"I should hope so. He is a member of your niece's team" Ozpin answered.

"He's on the pipsqueak's team?" Qrow asked.

"Correct... and you will be training him for the duration of the tournament"

"I what!" Qrow asked in surprise.

"Nice" Slade laughed "You expect this drunk to actually teach me? I'll be surprised if he can keep himself standing much less fighting"

"Mr. Branwen is one of the most highly trained Huntsmen I have as well as one of the finest teachers at Signal Academy. I'm sure you will do fine"

"Oz, I have far too many important things to do-"

"Such as?"

"Well... drinking?" he tried shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm sure you can find time to fit his training into your clearly busy schedule" Ozpin chuckled at Qrow's annoyed expression.

"Will that be all, Professor?" Slade asked.

"Yes, you're dismissed" he answered sitting in his chair. Slade nodded then left through the elevator.

"I should be going as well, Ozpin. I apologize for Ms. Schnee's behavior, justified as it may be" Ironwood stated leaving the room.

Qrow just glared at Ozpin displeased with his situation. "Something you'd like to say?" Ozpin asked without looking up at him.

"Why me?" Qrow asked.

"I have already told you about Slade prior to your arrival here. You should know why-"

"Him? He's a first year, Oz. You can't seriously bet everything on him-"

"I wont be betting everything on him, Qrow. That's why you're training him. Of all the students that have attended this school, he is by far the most powerful I have ever met. Slade hasn't even scratched the surface of his semblance and he can keep up with someone as strong as you"

"Keeping up with me won't get him anywhere if he can't win"

"He's stronger than you and Raven were at his age. I know Slade will accomplish great things... I'm just worried he'll turn against us"

"Against us? What makes you think he'd do that? From what you've told me he's the perfect example of what a Huntsman should be"

"So were you at one time... losing Summer changed many things about you, Qrow. Not all of them for the better"

"Ozpin!" Glynda lectured.

"He's right, Glynda... it did change me. That's why I want to know what you think could change his perspective"

"Ruby"

"What about her?"

"Slade cares deeply for her, for all of his friends. If he were to lose one of them... I'm not sure what he'd do-"

"I've got him"

"Qrow?" Glynda asked confused.

"I'll make sure I prepare him as much as I can. The rest is up to him"

"Thank you"

"You told me about his abilities in combat, but last I heard he hadn't unlocked his semblance. What is it?"

"Some form of teleportation"

"Teleportation? Like warping?"

Ozpin nodded his head "We've yet to discern exactly what he is capable of once he has completely mastered it, but he learned more in one day what most people would take weeks. Slade does his own training by himself discovering new possibilities with his semblance... so far we know he can move himself anywhere within a ten mile radius, however he can extend this distance with multiple uses consistently. Slade can move anything he comes into contact with, the larger the object the more energy it takes for him, he hasn't made any progress with moving things he hasn't made contact with. Hopefully you can make some headway with that" he explained.

"Looks like I have quite some work ahead of me"

"Indeed... be sure to take a look at his match from earlier today. I'm sure you'll be most impressed with his abilities"

"I'll handle that myself thank you very much, I'll be sure to look into it when I get the chance"


	13. Beginning Of The End

**Here you guys go, chapter twelve; thank you all for your recommendations and support! I really appreciate it! Hope you guys like it**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Twelve: Beginning Of The End**

"You'll never beat me, old man!" Ruby taunted from her place on the floor.

"You're nothing but talk, kid!" Qrow shot back sitting next to her.

"You can do it, Ruby!" Yang shouted encouragingly.

Slade enters the dorm room to find Ruby and Qrow playing a video game. The screen of the video game Ruby and Qrow are playing is shown just as one of the pixelated ninjas decapitates the other, with the announcer saying "SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!" Qrow grins at his victory as Ruby lowers her head in shame.

"Ouch" Yang whispered.

"And by the way, don't ever call me old" Qrow warned.

pushing her sibling out of her spot as she grabs the spinning controller from the air "My turn!" Yang yelled. While the game begins again with "NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES!"

"Now, where was I?" Qrow asked. popping up from behind the two players excitedly "You were telling us about your last mission!" Ruby answered.

"Right, right... I'd come across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral. Right off the bat, I knew something wasn't right" Qrow explained. Slade leaned against the door frame listening intently.

"What were you doing there?" Ruby asked leaning in close.

"I needed information. Tired from battling Grimm along the way, I decided to start my search at the town's inn. The place was crawling with lowlifes and thugs, even a few Huntsmen that I could only assume had been hired by less-than reputable people for less-than respectable jobs. And that's when it happened"

"What happened?" Yang asked curiously.

"I was defeated... by the mere sight...of the innkeeper's skirt length!" Qrow yelled grinning.

Qrow's laughter is interrupted by a thrown dog-head pillow, which Qrow deftly catches much to Yang's ire, not helped by the game announcer calling out once more "SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!"

"You are the worst!" she yelled.

"Best two out of three?" Qrow asked Ruby after they both stopped laughing.

"Just when I thought maybe you were actually cool" Slade chuckled shaking his head.

"Hey, Slade!" Ruby waved from her place on the ground standing up to hug him, she then plopped down onto Weiss's bed.

"Yo" Yang greeted fist bumping him.

"So, Uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Nah, me and Oz go way back. We're cool" he answered waving the question off.

"Cool for an old guy" Yang scoffed, earning a chuckle from Slade.

"Not funny" said looking upset.

"So, what are you doing here anyway? I thought Dad said that you would be on a mission, for like... ever"

Getting back into the game at the sound of "READY? FIGHT!" he answered "Well, a professional Huntsman like myself is expected to get results, as soon as possible"

"Yeeeeaaaah, I get that" she laughed "We're pretty much pros, too"

"Oh, really?" Qrow asked not believing her.

"Psch, yeah! Read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone" Yang added.

"Really? Because I heard someone teleported the train that you almost stopped at the last moment. I'd say they're the professional" Qrow laughed.

"But we did such a good job!" Ruby whined.

"They don't give out medals for second place" Qrow pointed out.

"They do! They're called silver!" Ruby argued.

"It's not our fault Slade can teleport" Yang pointed out.

"You were the one who stopped the train?" Qrow asked looking up at Slade, he nodded in response.

"Nicely done, kid. Don't let it go to your head, you're still a student after all"

"Well, we helped take down Roman Torchwick too! He's locked up on Ironwood's ship and crime has been down ever since. That's practically a bounty mission" Yang defended.

"If it was we'd be paying back the payout for all the damages we caused throughout our hunt for him" Slade sighed shaking his head.

"Kid's got a point. You're acting like Huntresses but you're not thinking like one. You really think five kids and they're friends could end all crime in the kingdom?" Qrow asked.

"I mean... I did until you said that" Ruby admitted tapping her fingers together in embarrassment.

"Violence hasn't just dropped since Roman got nabbed; it's stopped, completely. No White Fang activity around the city. You cut the head off a King Taijitu, but now the second head is calling the shots" Qrow explained.

"They must be planning something big after failing with the attack on the city" Slade concluded thoughtfully.

"Exactly" Qrow agreed.

"Do you think they'd try something during the festival?" Yang asked concerned.

"I think it would be the perfect time to do something. We're broadcasting the fights all around the world. If something were to happen during one of them..."

"They world would panic, drawing in the Grimm. The perfect cover for an attack to wipe us out" Slade sighed.

"You've got it"

"Onto more lovely subjects, when will we begin training?" Slade asked Qrow curiously.

"You're training him?" Ruby asked confused.

"Yeah. Ozpin's too busy during the tournament to keep training the kid. So he's tasked me with doing it"

"You're so lucky! Uncle Qrow is the best teacher, he's the reason I was able to get into Beacon so early"

"Thank you, Uncle Qrow" Slade joked winking at Ruby, earning a loud laugh from Yang and a confused glance from Qrow at Ruby's embarrassment.

"Aren't you part of her team? What're you the cheerleader?" Qrow asked smirking.

"Now that you mention it, I have been looking at cheerleading outfits. Maybe you could give me some tips from yours?" Slade asked Qrow mockingly.

"Ouch" Yang laughed "You can almost feel the burn"

"I wonder if your feet move as fast as your mouth" Qrow chuckled.

"Slade may not be in our team name but he's totally our best fighter. His match yesterday was awesome!" Ruby gushed.

"I wouldn't go that far" Slade laughed rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Qrow stood up from his place on the floor taking a sip from his flask.

"She's not just saying that because he's her boyfriend either" Yang pointed out in agreement. Qrow spit out his drink upon hearing this.

"He's dating the pipsqueak!?" Qrow practically yelled.

"You just killed me" he whispered to Yang slightly nervous.

"They've been together for awhile now" Yang added ignoring Slade's increasingly palling expression.

"Have they..." Qrow let the sentence hang. Turning to Ruby he had a big grin on his face "Congrats, pipsqueak" he laughed at her embarrassed expression.

"T-thanks" she stuttered out. Qrow slung his arm around Slade's shoulder.

"If you break my niece's heart, I promise you: being mauled by Grimm will feel like a tickle compared to what I will do to you" Qrow whispered.

 _Is everyone in her family going to threaten me?_

"Get in line" Slade whispered back, earning a smirk from him.

"Glad to see I won't be the only one hunting you if you hurt Ruby" he chuckled releasing him "Anyways I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style?"

"So you admit to being old!" Yang shot as he walked through the doorway stopping momentarily at her comment.

"You have style?" Slade asked feigning shock.

"Watch it kid, you and I have training to do this afternoon" Qrow warned "You may wish to stay on my good side" he added with a wink before leaving.

"Sometimes... you're uncle can be such a child" Slade laughed sitting down on the bed next to Yang.

"You'll get used to it" Yang shrugged.

* * *

"You're late" Qrow said looking up at Slade as he arrived in the empty field.

"You called me two minutes ago" Slade shot back slightly annoyed "What did you call me here for?" he asked looking around at the empty field.

"This will be where you and I will be training. Everyday you will meet me here at this time to train. If you're late again I will drop you as a student" Qrow explained.

"What's up first?" Slade asked curiously.

"First we're going to fight" Qrow answered "I need to see where you need improvement before I can start teaching you" he explained before Slade could ask.

"We better make it quick. I have a match in an hour" Slade said placing his hood and mask on.

"Oz is letting you fight in the tournament?" Qrow asked.

"Yeah, I already won my first match, second one shouldn't be too hard" he answered confidently pushing his sunglasses over his eyes. Qrow made a mental note to find the recording of the match from Ozpin knowing he'd have it on hand.

"Ready?" Qrow asked removing his blade from his back. Slade nodded removing his blade from it's sheathe.

"Don't underestimate me, old man. I might surprise you"

"Bold words, let's see you back them up-" Qrow was interrupted by Slade charging him, slashing to his right then again to his left. Qrow managed to block the attacks easily then swung for his chest. Slade dropped low under the strike then flipped backwards slamming his foot down where Qrow previously stood. Handspringing backwards he dodged multiple strikes from Qrow. Leaping forward as Qrow charged him their blades clashed throwing them both back several feet from the force each of them sliding to a stop.

Qrow appeared in front of him slicing for his head, Slade rolled under the attack. Leaping backward, Qrow swung high as Slade ducked underneath his blade using his own to strike for his leg. Qrow lifted his leg up spinning himself around the strike. Slade tucked his blade under his arms stabbing it toward Qrow behind him. Qrow held his blade over his back blocking the strike before twisting around and swinging for his legs. Slade jumped over his blade kicking him in the chest. They continued to strike furiously at the other each blocking and striking with perfect timing.

Qrow flipped forward slicing the air clashing his blade onto Slade's causing a shockwave to rip through the air chopping off a tree branch. Using his left hand he drew his pistol firing at Qrow, forcing him back. They both flipped backward away from the other, Slade continued to fire his weapon as he ran to the left. Qrow effortlessly blocked all the bullets with his blade spinning it expertly.

Leaping forward over Qrow, Slade struck for his head as his attack was blocked. Qrow swung his blade around toward his back, forcing Slade to duck under the strike. Twisting around in his crouched position, he swung his blade up at Qrow's face causing him to lean back way from the blade. Qrow stuck for his chest, forcing Slade to lean back from his crouched position, swinging the blade back at him, Slade dropped onto his back to avoid the third strike then rolled forward behind Qrow, stabbing his blade into the ground he swung himself around to an upright standing position. Firing his pistol as he removed the blade from the ground he leaped over Qrow, dodging Qrow's own weapon firing at him.

Qrow slammed his blade into Slade's knocking it from his hands and embedding it into the ground. Slade curled his leg around the hilt of Qrow's wrenching it from his grip with one fluid motion lodging it into a nearby tree. Qrow punched for his face, Slade caught his fist in his hand kicking Qrow in the chest as hard as he could pushing him backward toward his blade. Qrow smirked noticing his own blade beside him placing his hand upon it. Slade charged forward punching for Qrow's chest, he leapt up onto his own blade and caused it to curl into scythe mode then launching himself up the tree grabbing one of the branches, it bent back from the force.

Using his fist, Slade shattered the base of the branch Qrow clung to dropping him onto the ground once more. Qrow blocked his punch as he plummeted toward him with his fist aimed for his face. Pushing off his blade, Slade swung himself around a tree trunk firing his pistol as he came around the opposite side. Qrow spun his blade in front of himself blocking the bullets then blocking a second oncoming punch.

* * *

"You think Slade is doing okay with Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked concerned as they approached the training area they knew he would be at.

"Uncle Qrow won't go easy on him knowing you two are dating now" Yang said thoughtfully.

"Sounds like he isn't going easy on him" Ruby agreed hearing the gunshots from far away.

"I'm sure he's fine" Yang assured placing her hand onto her shoulder.

"You're probably right... I'm just worried-what's that?" Ruby asked looking to Obsidian stabbed into the ground.

"Isn't that Slade's?" Yang asked just before Slade came crashing through the tree in front of it. Slade grabbed the blade as he slid to a stop, he waited patiently for Qrow's next move.

"Slade?" Ruby asked in surprise.

"Hey, Ruby. Hey, Yang" he greeted.

"Don't lose focus!" Qrow yelled charging him. Slade flipped forward over Qrow's blade strike using both his legs to kick him in the face throwing him back several feet.

"I never do" Slade replied smirking under his mask.

"I'm impressed, kid. You're certainly better than I expected. But don't get cocky, neither of us have started using our semblance yet" Qrow lectured.

"I use my semblance as little as possible. Best way to keep people from expecting it"

"That may work for the rest of the students you've fought against. But any true Huntsman could easily take you at the level your at now. I cannot train you if you won't show me your full capabilities"

"Apologies, I will make sure to use my semblance from now on. Perhaps you can give me some pointers"

"Next time... for now you should get headed to your match. You wouldn't want to be late now would you?" Qrow asked looking at the time on his scroll.

"Thank you, Mr. Branwen-"

"Qrow, you've earned it, kid" he smirked.

* * *

"You nervous?" Yang asked as they approached the ring.

"No, why would I be nervous? Worst that happens is I lose, it's not the end of the world" Slade answered shrugging "I noticed you and Weiss did well in your match against that team from Atlas"

"Thanks, we were pretty great" Yang grinned confidently.

"Don't get too cocky, you'll have to fight me eventually" Slade laughed.

"Bring it! I think I could take you"

"C'mon, sis. We both know he'd kick your butt" Ruby giggled.

"We don't know that!" Yang shot back indignantly.

"Simmer down" Slade laughed at the two of them "How about we all go out after my match. My treat" he offered.

"You hear that, Ruby? Your boyfriend just volunteered to take out four girls to dinner" Yang winked elbowing her in the side.

"Yang!" she groaned pushing her shoulder.

"Would Slade Stroud please report to the battlegrounds immediately!" Oobleck's voiced announced as he approached the entrance.

"Wish me luck girls" he kissed Ruby quickly before walking inside.

"Kick their butt!" Yang yelled after him.

"Fight hasn't started yet has it?" Qrow asked from behind them.

"Nope, he's going in right now. We should head to our seats. You joining us?" Ruby asked.

"I... I don't think I have the time-"

"C'mon, Uncle Qrow. You and I both know you don't have anything to do today" Yang said giving him a disapproving look.

"Fine, fine, I'll watch your boyfriend" Qrow sighed.

"Yay!" Ruby yelled excitedly leading them to their seats.

"Who's the geezer?" Nora asked as they approached.

"This is our Uncle Qrow" Ruby introduced, he gave a small wave to the group "These are my friends, Nora, Blake, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and you've already met Weiss and Slade" she introduced pointing to everyone one at a time.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Today we have quite the crowd pleaser" Port's voice announced.

"Indeed, Peter. We have an exhilarating match ahead of us, Slade Stroud of Beacon and team BRSS (Brass) of Atlas shall be fighting to progress into the single rounds" Oobleck explained showing pictures of both contestants.

"You're the guy who took down team MARN on your own?" asked one of his opponents as they stopped in the center of the ring. He was a tall dark skinned man with slicked back blonde hair and dark blue eyes hiding behind a pair of sunglasses. He wore a white coat with the sleeves torn off it openly exposing his bare chest coupled with a pair of black boots and pants with a white lightning bolt leading up the side of it and two massive gold gauntlets covering his wrists stopping just below his elbow. Slade nodded in response placing his hood and mask on over his face.

"He's the one who can teleport right, Bross?" asked his friend nervously. She had bright purple eyes and dark red shoulder length hair and pale skin. Two long thin blades rested on her back; she wore a red jacket over a blue long-sleeved shirt and matching pants, with a black pair of heels with an icicle symbol on each one.

"We can't hold back against him, then. We need to come at him with everything we've got, Skye" Bross answered.

"G-got it" she replied nervously.

"Let's see what matchup we'll have today" Port's voice announced as the holographic roulette showed up above them. The symbols stopped showing both locations to be ice.

"Hoho! It appears Slade shall be at a disadvantage this time around!" Port announced.

"BRSS must be very pleased with the terrain for this match considering their teammates semblance" Oobleck agreed.

"We can't possibly lose this time!" Bross laughed arrogantly. Qrow's hands tightened around the arm rests of his chair internally debating leaving before things get worse.

"3...2...1..."

"Great" Slade sighed removing his sunglasses from his pocket.

"Begin!" Oobleck shouted. Bross appeared in front of Slade before he was able to place them on his head. Tossing them lightly into the air over Bross's shoulder he vanished reappearing behind Bross in the air as his sunglasses fell into place on his face. Unsheathing his blade he attempted to attack him only for his blade to make contact with a wall of ice. Bross quickly reappeared beside Skye.

"Sorry, Skye. Are you all right?" he asked receiving a crisp nod in response. Slade removed his blade from the ice staring at them in confusion.

"It would appear all of our contestants have started using their semblances already! Skye's ice manipulation complements Bross's time manipulation greatly for this landscape" Port announced.

"Will Slade's teleportation be able to match it?" Oobleck wondered.

 _Time manipulation?_ Slade wasn't able to complete his thought as Bross was in front of him yet again. Using his gauntlets he blocked his punch throwing him several feet backwards through a newly formed ice wall, his aura dropping dramatically.

"Kid can't take another hit like that" Qrow sighed aloud.

"I've never seen Slade get hit that hard before, why didn't he just teleport out of the way?" Blake asked confused.

"Because he couldn't" Qrow answered.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"Ozpin filled me in on his semblance earlier today, I also took a look at his previous match. He takes significantly longer to teleport longer distances than shorter ones. That Atlas kid can freely manipulate time, slow it down, speed it up, that kind of thing"

"That doesn't explain why he can't teleport away" Pyrrha pointed out.

"I hate having to repeat myself" Qrow sighed.

"Wait... if he can manipulate time, then can't he make himself faster and Slade slower?" Jaune asked curiously.

"Now you're starting to get it. Even for short distances it will take too long for him to teleport, the only way he stands a chance of wining this match is tiring out the fast one. On the other hand the girl controlling the ice can make obstacles in his way to keep him from avoiding his attacks or prevent his attacks from striking like before" Qrow explained.

"C'mon, Slade..." Ruby nervously whispered loud enough for Qrow to hear.

Slade managed to barely avoid Bross's strikes and Skye's ice attacks, he vanished before a large spike of ice impaled him appearing behind an ice wall still standing from before to catch his breath.

 _I can't keep up with him at this rate... he seems to be able to use his semblance sparingly, it tires him out too much. If I can just get rid of that ice girl I could-_ Slade's thoughts were interrupted by the wall of ice crumbling above him falling toward him. Using his blade he sliced through the massive shard of the wall falling on him narrowly escaping being crushed.

Qrow's hands closed into fists sighing in annoyance.

"What the hell was that?" Skye asked looking at her ice wall in confusion.

"Behind you!" Bross yelled charging Slade as he drew his pistol, unable to dodge Slade was knocked into the ground hard

"Slade!" Ruby yelled worriedly as his aura dropped just above the red zone.

"He's not going to lose is he?" Nora asked genuinely concerned.

"I can't believe there's another student stronger than Slade" Weiss admitted leaning back into her chair.

"One more strike like that and the match will be over" Oobleck sighed. Slade vanished appearing farther away from Bross as he slammed his fist down toward his chest shattering the ice he stood upon.

 _That guy has some monster strength, it's nothing compared to Nora's though-_ Slade stopped suddenly realization crossing his features, he looked up momentarily then smirked.

"That all you've got? I thought you were supposed to be a heavy hitter" Slade mocked dropping onto on knee exhaustedly as he held his left arm in pain, concealing his pistol underneath his hand.

"What did you say?!" Bross angrily yelled.

 _Just as I thought, he thinks with his fists not his head_

"Didn't you say something about hitting me with everything you've got? Well, I'm still standing" he continued taunting.

"Barely" Skye scoffed.

"I'll show you!" Bross yelled appearing in front of him in the blink of an eye, Slade tosses his gun into the air as he appeared behind Skye pointing his blade to the back of her neck.

"What?! How did you dodge my top speed?!" Bross yelled in confusion. Skye held an icepick to Slade's abdomen behind her back as his blade rested on the nape of her neck.

"I'm ready for this, are you?" Skye asked.

"You're both impressive fighters, but you've already lost" Slade smirked.

"What're you talking about-" a gunshot rang out as Bross charged them, Bross noticed the bullet as it soared through the air toward his head as the pistol fired having hit the ground. Twisting around it he tripped over his own two feet flying toward Skye and Slade.

"Catch you later" Slade chuckled vanishing as Bross slammed into Skye knocking them both outside the ring, reappearing next to his gun picking it up off the ground.

"Amazing! Team BRSS has been eliminated by knockout!" Port yelled excitedly.

"Astonishing, simply astonishing. Slade Stroud is once again the winner!" Oobleck announced proudly.

"He did it?" Weiss asked in shock.

"He did it!" Yang repeated yelling in excitement.

"Way to go, Slade!" Ruby yelled with a grin on her face.

"Not bad, kid" Qrow smirked.

"I don't get it, what'd he do?" Weiss asked still in shock.

"He realized his semblance didn't manipulate time for everyone, just himself and his opponent" Qrow answered.

"How'd he figure that out?" Nora asked confused.

"Simple, the TV screens all around the ring" Ren answered pointing to them.

"But how did realizing he was the only other one affected by his semblance help him?" Jaune asked.

"He used it to his advantage, when Bross slows down time for Slade it slowed everything connected to him at that moment, that's why when he tossed his gun up it continued to fall slowly until it fired when it hit the ground. The bullet inside still traveled much slower than it usually would allowing Bross to attempt to dodge it"

"In which case the tremendous speed knocked him over due to the amount of energy in his movements" Pyrrha smiled in understanding.

"So... he used the momentum of his opponent against them?" Blake asked.

"Exactly"

"Wait... but I thought he couldn't teleport fast enough to dodge the attacks" Yang pointed out "How'd he avoid the last one?"

"He faked it. Every strike that hit him he deliberately allowed to make his opponents arrogant in their own abilities. They never would've guessed he could've dodged him"

"He's one slick son of a bi-"

"Yang!" Ruby yelled interrupting her "Language, missy" she chastised causing everyone to laugh.

* * *

Slade and Qrow laid exhaustedly against a nearby tree both trying to catch their breath.

"You sir... know how to... work me to the... bone" Slade panted out.

"You're not... bad yourself... kid" Qrow said back taking a sip from his flask.

"Are you ever... not drunk?" Slade asked finally catching his breath.

"Not if I can help it, kid" he answered with a small laugh.

"I've noticed"

"So..."

"So... what?"

"Do you love my niece?" Qrow asked bluntly.

"Well that's direct"

"I'm not one for small talk"

"I can see that" he sighed leaning his head back against the tree.

"You didn't answer the question"

Slade sat silently for a moment, looking up at the clouds above them he sighed deeply "Yes"

"Good answer"

"You don't need to interrogate me, Qrow. I'm not going to hurt Ruby"

"Because I will kill you?"

"Because the last thing I want is to see her hurt" Slade answered with a hard glare.

"Too bad I don't intimidate you"

"Yes, you do"

"Really?" Qrow asked raising his eyebrow.

"I know I'm not going to hurt Ruby, so I am not afraid of what you'll do to me. But don't mistake me, I don't plan on getting on your bad side in my lifetime" Slade answered with a small laugh.

"Good... why?"

"Why?" Slade asked confused.

"Why do you love Ruby? Don't give me any of that "I can't explain it" crap" Qrow waved his hand dismissively.

"She's beautiful, funny, and kind, she's always doing unexpected nonsense keeping me on my toes" he laughed "I've never found anyone with a purer heart than her, she cares for people a lot more than anybody else I know... honestly, if I were to choose anyone to spend the rest of my life with... it would be her"

"But?"

"She's far too reckless sometimes, I don't want to see her get hurt because she doesn't think ahead. She'll make a great Huntress, she's skilled enough to keep up with me most of the time and she's fearless enough to face anything endangering those she cares about. I just don't want to see her get hurt... it's... complicated"

"That's women for ya, kid" Qrow chuckled taking another swig from his flask. They remained silent just watching the clouds above them, feeling the breeze on their faces.

"Something big is coming isn't it?" Slade asked.

"You seem to know more about it than I do" Qrow answered.

"How so?"

"You're the one who told us about Cinder and caught Torchwick stopping the White Fang's operations. We know something is coming and Cinder is at the center of it all. But not even Ozpin is gonna be able to stop what's coming, Ironwood's big ships won't stop a damn thing" Qrow sighed.

"That doesn't sound very good"

"It isn't... but you shouldn't worry about that stuff, when the time comes I know you'll be ready to lend a hand" Qrow reassured standing up.

"Leaving so soon?"

"You should get going, Yang would be pretty pissed if you missed her match"

"How do you know she'll be fighting? The fights are randomized"

"Just a guess" Qrow shrugged as he left.

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Slade asked barging into his team dorm, his team sitting around General Ironwood in the center of the room.

"This doesn't concern you-" Ironwood began being cut off.

"Like hell it doesn't, he's part of our team too" Weiss growled.

"Look... You all seem like good students, and I admire your fierce loyalty to your teammates. The staff here at Beacon is fully aware you would never lash out the way you did... under normal circumstances"

"Normal circumstances? General you and I both know-"

"That's enough, Mr. Stroud" Ironwood cut him off sternly.

"While I believe and hope this is nothing more than the result of stress and adrenaline. When you're out on the battlefield, your judgement can become clouded in an instant. Sometimes you see things that simply aren't there. Even after the fight is past..." Ironwood explained.

"But I didn't-" Yang argued.

"That's ENOUGH"

"General-" Slade tried once more.

"One more word out of you and I shall have you thrown into a cell aboard my ship" he warned sternly.

"He isn't doing anything wrong" Ruby protested standing from her place on the bed.

"Would you like to join him?" Ironwood asked raising an eyebrow to her. Ruby sat back down on the bed next to Yang "That's what I thought"

The room was silent for a moment as Ironwood regained his composure "The sad truth is: Whether it was an accident or an assault, it doesn't matter. The world already saw you attack an innocent student. They've already drawn their own conclusions. And it's my job to inform you... that you've been disqualified" Ironwood finished.

Yang's shocked appearance quickly changed to one of misery as she looked down in guilt at the floor.

"Mr. Stroud... a word" Ironwood gestured him to follow him out of the room. Slade followed behind quickly his fists clenching in anger.

"I know whatever it is you have to say is probably going to piss me off, so get it over with already" Slade said glaring at the two androids guarding the door.

"I want your honest opinion about what happened out there" Ironwood spoke.

"My opinion? You've already disregarded that countless times before, why the change of heart now?"

"Because I know you're the only one on your team right now that's thinking with a clear head" Ironwood answered surprising him.

"I know Yang has anger issues she has yet to keep a lid on, but she's never lashed out at someone who didn't earn it. The video tapes say she attacked him completely unprovoked and Yang says she was attacked and acted in defense"

"Only one of those statements can be true" Ironwood said thoughtfully.

"On the contrary, General. I believe both are true"

"Explain"

"I know Mercury attacked Yang, but I also know there is a large amount of undeniable evidence he didn't"

"That doesn't make any sense"

"I know it doesn't but not a lot of things in this world do. You cannot discount you may not know all the facts"

"Why do you believe Mercury to be behind this? Perhaps he has no knowledge of Cinder's involvement with Roman Torchwick"

"Because just like Cinder, his records are completely fabricated. Someone erased their old records and replaced them with sparkling new ones"

"The only people who'd have access to that would be one of the academy headmasters" Ironwood said not really believing him.

"I know Cinder is up to something, and you know she's up to something. Don't fail to take action against them, they've already caused enough panic with framing Yang, she could do something far worse tonight" Slade warned.

"I will take what you've said into consideration before making our next move, I must consult with Ozpin before anything else" Ironwood explained walking away with both the androids in tow.

"Tell him to think quickly, if he waits too long Cinder could already have made her move" Slade called after him.

"There is one more thing I must inform you of before I go" Ironwood said his back still turned to Slade "I had to pull quite a few strings to make sure she wasn't placed into a prison cell aboard my ship... However I cannot just allow her to walk school grounds freely, and assigning guards to her will take away from protection of the city and the arena"

"Are you asking me to be her damned jailor!?" he nearly shouted.

"I'm asking you to keep her safe, if you truly care for her safety you will accept" Ironwood answered turning to look at him. Slade remained silent weighing his options.

"She deserves the same freedom we have-"

"If it wasn't for Qrow she'd be aboard my ship in a holding cell. Be grateful I am offering you this chance at all, Mr. Stroud. If you will not guard Ms. Xiao Long then she will be moved arrested"

"Fine"

"Thank you, I-"

"I'm doing this for Yang, not for you" he growled.

"Of course... take care of yourself" he replied finally leaving, Slade sighed in annoyance shaking his head lightly.

"What was that about?" Ruby asked poking her head out with Weiss and Blake coming out behind her.

"Ironwood wanted to know what I thought happened"

"What you tell him?" Blake asked.

"The truth. I know Yang would never attack someone unprovoked"

"Damn right she wouldn't" Weiss agreed.

"Is she going to be ok?" Jaune asked gaining their attention.

"She's doing the best she can" Blake answered.

"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask" Ren offered.

"You be sure to win one for Beacon" Ruby said turning to Slade with a stern look.

"It's what Yang would want" Weiss agreed.

"No pressure" Slade joked waving them off. Ruby gave a sheepish giggle.

"I'll be sure to make it to the final round with you, then we can really settle who's better" Pyrrha chuckled.

"You're on!" Ruby yelled enthusiastically.

"Sorry, but I think I've had enough fighting for one year" Blake sighed.

"Ditto. Coffee?" Weiss asked.

"Tea" Blake answered as they left.

"Well, now that we have some free time why don't you and I hang out?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"Sorry, Ruby... Qrow wants me to keep training. That guy really knows how to wear me out" he lied. Slade hated lying to Ruby but figured she wouldn't leave him and Yang alone if he told her the truth.

"Aw" she pouted "We hardly ever see each other anymore. You're always so busy training, the most I see of you is during your matches" she wined.

"I promise after the tournament everything is going to go back to normal" he assured her.

"I'll hold you to that" she said pointing accusingly. Slade smiled warmly pulling her into a passionate kiss, Nora whistled approvingly. Slade used his leg to close the door keeping them from spying on them. They pulled apart several moments after.

"I love you" Ruby said looking up into his eyes.

"I love you, too" he answered back. Ruby grinned happily as she removed her arms from around his neck.

"See you later then!" she called over her shoulder as she walked away.

"You know it" he replied, once she was safely out of sight he entered their dorm to find Yang looking somberly out the window. Slade sat on the bed next to her, she never looked away from the window.

"Hey" Yang didn't even flinch.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened-"

"Who else is there to blame?" she asked finally turning to face him.

"Yang... when I first came to this school I was absolutely sure I was going to hate it here. I knew right when I stepped off that airship that I was going to leave the second I had the chance. Then I met Ruby, and you, and Jaune, hell even Weiss. You all befriended me and showed me a kindness I had never experienced before. When I freaked out in Port's class on that Beowulf; you didn't hate me for it, you all wanted to help. Even Weiss... in her own weird way" Yang couldn't hide her light laughter at your comment.

"I know things aren't looking good right now, and that you blame yourself for disqualifying the others. But I know that no one on our team is angry at you for it, they're worried about you. They want you to be happy. Everyone is more worried about you than winning some dumb tournament. We all know whatever happened between you and Mercury was completely justified" Slade assured placing his hand onto her shoulder to comfort her. Yang grabbed him into a hug facing downwards to hide her face from him even though he knew she was crying.

Slade hugged her back gently "You don't have to worry, Yang. By this time tomorrow, this will seem like nothing" Yang nodded against his shoulder as she continued to hug him. Remaining that way for a moment she separated from him with a smile wiping away her tears.

"Thanks, Slade"

"What else am I here for?" he asked earning a punch from her.

"Ruby's really lucky to have a guy like you"

"I'm the lucky one if anything" Slade laughed.

"You should go spend some time with her, I know she's been dying to get some alone time with you" Yang nudged playfully as she said this.

"Yeah... about that" Slade rubbed the nape of his neck nervously.

"What is it?"

"Qrow had to convince General Ironwood not to arrest you, buuuuuut in return I have to guard you" he explained. Yang hung her head in disappointment at his comment.

"That's not why I'm here, Yang. I could just as easily have guarded you from outside" he assured seeing her expression.

"It's not just that, now you can't spend time with Ruby because of me"

"I'll have plenty of time to spend with Ruby after the tournament is over, Yang. Don't worry about us so much"

"But-"

"No, buts! We haven't spent a lot of time together since the tournament began anyway. Now's the perfect chance" Yang smiled sincerely up at him.

"That's true..."

"You're not burdening anyone, Yang. I want you to know that"

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Yang asked.

"Whatever it is can wait" Qrow said leaning against the doorway.

"What's going on?" Slade asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, I just want to talk to Yang privately for a minute" Slade looked over to Yang "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Slade. Don't worry about me" she waved off nudging from him to leave.

"Okay then... I will be back in half an hour, make sure you've finished by then" Slade called back toward them as he left.

"Will do" Qrow called after him closing the door behind him.


	14. End Of The Beginning

**Sorry about the wait guys! My house was stuck by lightning yesterday of all days. This is the chapter where all the changes to the original RWBY storyline will be the most apparent, hope you guys like my decisions.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Thirteen: End Of The Beginning**

"Pyrrha and Penny? That doesn't sound like a match up I would've expected" Yang laughed as she and Slade played her favorite board game.

"To be fair, Penny is a lot more talented than she looks. Pyrrha won't be able to win that easily"

"Well she did screw up the White Fang back at the docks awhile back... trap card" she added giggling at his annoyed expression.

"You've always got one of those" he groaned "Anyway, Ruby said Penny's an android or something so she's the perfect-" Slade stopped what he was about to say.

"Slade? What's wrong you just got quite-"

"That son of a bitch" Slade said standing up dropping his cards.

"What? I don't get it"

"Cinder" he answered.

"Your not making any sense, Slade. What're you thinking?" Yang asked concerned.

"Your match against Mercury, Pyrrha's against Penny. She's planned all of it!"

"How do you know?"

"Think about it, you said Mercury attacked you first but everyone saw you attack him unprovoked. Neo, who works for Torchwick and we haven't found since that night with the train could use some form of illusions, what if she or someone else made you see Mercury attack you when it never happened at all"

"You mean like a hallucination or something?"

"Exactly... If the same method was used with Penny against Pyrrha, she could get seriously hurt. Her semblance is polarity" Slade explained picking up his scroll from the desk he dialed a few numbers.

"Mr. Stroud?" Ozpin's voice asked through the device "Is there something-"

"Shut up and listen. Cinder's making her move tonight" Slade said quickly.

"Slow down, what makes you think-"

"Listen to me damn it! Cinder and Mercury planned the whole thing with Yang using some form of illusions, they could do the same thing with Pyrrha and it would be catastrophic, they would panic everyone bringing the Grimm"

"You mean she's spreading panic by injuring her own teammate? Do you know how crazy that sounds-"

"It's only crazy for someone who cares for their subordinates, I get the feeling she doesn't. The injury was just a taste of what she can do, imagine how everyone watching would feel if one of the students died" Slade said.

"As much as I wish I could just act on your word, I need proof before-" Ozpin was interrupted by a call from Ruby indicating on his scroll, Slade answered it confused.

"Ruby? Is everything-" he heard a gunshot through the phone.

"Let's just keep- us friends" he heard Mercury's voice through the static before the call cut off. Slade dropped his scroll in shock his hands shaking.

"That was Mercury!" Yang yelled. Slade vanished from the room using his semblance. Silence came from Ozpin's line on the phone.

"James, evacuate the battlegrounds!" Ozpin yelled calling Ironwood.

"Ozpin what's going on-"

"James listen to me, a lot of people are going to die if you don't get them out of there right now!"

Yang ran out into the hall running until she found the nearest TV screen, Pyrrha used her semblance on Penny's blades far more powerful than necessary for the small amount of them. Penny's arms began to twist from the metal strings wrapping around her, Pyrrha's face turned to one of horror at what she had done.

* * *

Slade appeared between Pyrrha with his blade in hand slicing through the strings around Penny freeing her, she dropped onto her back. There was dead silence around throughout the stadium as everyone looked on in confusion.

"Mr. Stroud? What're you doing?" Oobleck asked through the speakers. Ironwood grabbed the microphone away from him.

"This is General James Ironwood, I would ask that you all exit the stadium in a calm and orderly fashion"

Everyone in the stadium began panicking not really understanding what was going on.

"Please, remain calm. There is no reason to be alarmed" he continued. Slade looked up into the crowd to find Ruby staring in shock with Mercury standing behind her with the same expression. Appearing between them he slammed his fist into Mercury's face throwing him on his back.

"Slade?" Ruby asked confused.

"Everything is going to be okay, Ruby. Help with the evacuation, make sure Penny and Pyrrha are ready to fight as well. We're gonna need their help" Slade instructed unsheathing his blade.

"What about you?"

"Mercury and I have some unfinished business" Slade growled.

"You think just cause you saved that bot you can save everyone?" Mercury asked standing up "Grow up. This is the real world"

"The real world is about to let me kick your ass" Slade growled charging him.

Mercury was surprised by his speed barley able to deflect his downward slash with his boot, Slade continued to strike furiously while Mercury barely managed to avoid or deflect the attacks stumbling as he did. Using this opportunity, Slade attacked for his leg just above his boot only to hear metal clash against metal. Mercury twisted around kicking Slade, as he managed to block with his gauntlets, he was thrown back several feet flipping into his landing.

"That explains how you've recovered from your "injury" so quickly" Slade scowled.

"Hard to break a leg when they're made of steel in the first place. Worth every lien. Especially since it locked up that blonde bimbo for us"

Slade pulled his pistol out aiming it at Mercury "Watch your mouth when speaking about my friends" he growled.

"Roman certainly had you pegged right, he said we should've killed you from day one before you found your semblance. Personally I agreed, but Cinder wanted to be cautious not to be caught before we wanted to reveal ourselves"

"What exactly are you planning? What do you gain from any of this?"

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to spill my guts to you?" Mercury mocked.

"In a few seconds you won't have a choice in the matter"

"Sorry, no can do" Mercury smirked charging Slade.

Slade fired his pistol only to have it thrown from his hand by Mercury's kick, flipping around he kicked for his face. Slade vanished appearing behind him, he punched Mercury in the face then reappeared to his left kicking him in the side and again above him kicking him hard in the chest. Mercury slid backwards groaning in pain.

"You and I both know you can't win. I'm too fast for you"

"Bold words"

"Keep fighting if you wish, but you won't get anywhere but a hospital"

"I don't actually care about winning you see... all I care about... is staling" Mercury grinned.

Suddenly loud roars tore through the stadium, turning around Slade saw a massive Nevermore attacking the stadium with a large amount of Grimm flying overhead.

"This was your plan the whole time... spread panic so the Grimm would attack forcing us to fight them instead of you"

"Exactly. The White Fang should be attacking your school any second now" Mercury grinned "Roman will certainly be happy to see you finally dead"

"Not happening, you're plan is going to fail"

"I'd love to stay and chat but I have somewhere else to be" Mercury said firing multiple bullets from his boots creating a wall of white smoke as they rushed toward him. Slade teleported through it finding an empty space where Mercury once stood.

"Damn" he turned around hearing the Nevermore breaking through the shield around the ring where Ruby stood with many other students prepared to fight. He rushed out into the ring as Penny used her blades piercing the Nevermore causing it to screech in agony.

"Glad you're on our side" Slade said stabbing his blade into it as well.

"I'm combat ready!" Penny smiled back at him. Ruby suddenly smashed into the side of the Nevermore as it came down after Penny knocking it back.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Ruby yelled. Slade smirked at her courage.

"That's my girl" he laughed leaping off the Nevermore's back. It screeched flying toward them but was stopped by multiple lockers smashing into it's back forcing it to the ground. Huntsman and Huntresses from all the kingdoms equipped their weapons ready for battle.

The Nevermore sprung back to life attacking them, they all went to work attacking the beast. Ren used his weapons to attack it's eyes removing it's vision while Nora slid down it's head smashing it into the ground. The killing blow was executed by teams CFVY and SSSN bringing down they're heavy swords on it's neck from above decapitating it.

"That was easy" Slade chuckled.

"There's like a ton of us versus one Nevermore. Was gonna be pretty stupid if we lost a fight like that" Sun offered with a shrug.

"Fair enough"

"We need to get to Beacon" Jaune said handing Pyrrha her weapons.

"How?" Ruby asked.

"I have an idea" Slade answered.

* * *

"Get us to Beacon!" Slade yelled as they all entered the airship.

"Beacon? That place is in chaos-" the pilot argue, Slade pointed his gun at his head.

"I suggest you get moving then before it gets worse" Slade growled.

"Yes, sir"

"Thank you" Slade holstered his weapon. The airship soared toward Beacon as fast as it could, Slade watched Ironwood's ship attacking the other ships up there.

"What's up with that?" Sun asked confused.

"Torchwick" Slade growled.

"Ruby, what're you doing!?" Penny yelled causing him to turn around, Slade watched as Ruby jumped out of the back of the shuttle.

"Ruby!" Slade called after her, running to the edge, watching as she used her semblance to reach the arena. Slade sighed in relief.

"You gonna let your girl show you up like that?" Neptune asked.

"Well... I suppose I can let her have this one" he said with a smirk before vanishing.

"Why is it RWBY has all the crazy people on their team?" Sun asked.

Slade appeared in front of Ruby with a stern look on his face "What exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked as she slid to a stop.

"Ironwood's shuttle went down and his ship is attacking us. Someone needs to bring it down-"

"How exactly did you plan on getting there?" Slade asked. Ruby looked toward her own locker where she had previously grabbed her weapon from.

"You... are... brilliant. Insane. But brilliant"

"Maybe a little" Ruby agreed. they both got on her locker entering the code into it and flying toward the airship.

"What's the plan for landing this thing?"

"Get as close as we can then improvise the rest" Ruby shrugged.

"Improvise... right... why did I expect you to have a full plan?"

"You're the idea guy here, you're supposed to be the one with the plans"

Once they were close enough they both jumped off their lockers, Ruby used her semblance to make it and looked back to see Slade fall past it.

"Slade!" she yelled running to the edge.

"Yeah?" he asked dusting himself off behind her. Ruby punched him in the shoulder "Ow"

"Don't do that to me again!"

"Shouldn't we be more focused on getting Torchwick?"

"I suppose we should" Ruby agreed reluctantly turning away from him, just then a gryphon landed behind them. Ruby sliced through it instantly revealing Neo to be standing behind it, her outfit transformed from an Atlas uniform to her usual appearance as she took a photo of Ruby. She sent it to Roman.

Roman was standing in front of the command console "You can not be serious" he groaned picking up his scroll as he turned to leave. Slade stood in his path "You too? Why can't I ever catch a break!" Roman yelled.

Ruby viciously struck her scythe at Neo, spinning it expertly in her hands. Neo backhand sprung away from her dodging her attacks, Ruby fired her sniper at her causing Neo to shatter like glass. Neo smacked into Ruby with her umbrella throwing her into the air, Ruby embedded her scythe into the ship holding on for dear life. Suddenly Slade came crashing through the ship as an explosion tore through it. Rolling on the ships hull he threw his katana embedding beside Ruby as he planted his feet on the blade sliding to a stop slightly behind her, he stood on the blade his light blue aura sparking around him.

"Little Red, Little Red, and her annoying boyfriend. You two are just determined to be the heroes of Vale aren't ya?" Roman asked mockingly standing over Ruby.

"What're you doing? Without these ships the Grimm will destroy Vale!" Ruby asked in distress.

"That's the plan" Roman laughed pointing his cane at her. Ruby grabbed his cane pushing it back he missed his shot stumbling toward Slade. Slade grabbed his blade in his hand back flipping over it he slashed Roman into the air then kicked him back into Neo stopping her from attacking Ruby as she stood up.

"But why? What do you get out of it?" Ruby asked not understanding.

"You're asking the wrong questions, Red. It's not what I have to gain. It's what I can't afford to lose" he answered looking at Neo with a concerned expression.

"He's afraid" Slade breathed out in realization. Ruby charged Roman, Neo kicked her using Roman's back as leverage then hooked her umbrella handle onto her scythe flipping her over as it flung from her hand. Slade caught the scythe embedding it into the ground as Ruby flew backwards from Roman's attacks grabbing it and hanging off from the side. Slade Fired his pistol at Neo, she shattered once more appearing behind him. Slade twisted around blocking her blade, she placed her hand onto the floor kicking him in the chest with tremendous force knocking him onto his back.

"I may be a gambling man, but even I know there are some bets you just can't take" Roman mocked.

"Those are the only kind worth taking" Slade shot back struggling to get back up. Neo walked scraping her blade along the ship threateningly as she pointed it at Ruby with a grin.

"Like it or not, the people who hired me are going to change the world. You can't stop them and I can't stop them. You know the old saying: If you can't beat em-" Slade appeared behind him clicking the button on Neo's umbrella opening it, causing her to soar over the edge of the ship.

"Neo!" Slade kicked him in the side stumbling him back several feet. Slade clashed his blade with Roman's cane as Ruby struggled to get up from her spot hanging by Crescent Rose. Slade's blade was knocked from his hand, Ruby barely caught it almost falling back down because of it.

"You are just the most annoying bunch of kids, why won't you both just die already!?" Roman asked. Staring at his fist he took a deep breathe, Slade then punched Roman in the face hard knocking him back, he delivered another punch to his face followed by an uppercut stumbling Roman, approaching him Slade hit him again with a powerful kick to his chest knocking Roman onto his back flipping onto his stomach as he slid stopping himself with his hands with Slade still slowly approaching him.

"I don't care what you say. Nothing is going to stop me from protecting those I love... bet on that!" Slade yelled picking him up as he pulled his fist back for another hit. Roman pointed his cane into his chest firing throwing them both back. Slade soared over the edge of the ship.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled worriedly.

"Now we're even!" Roman yelled smacking Ruby onto her back "You've got spirt, Red. But this is the real world!" he yelled hitting her again.

"The real world is cold!" he smacked her leg hard "The real world doesn't care about spirit!" Ruby kicked him in the leg stumbling him back.

"You want to be a hero?" he asked as she stood up "Then play the part and die like ever other Huntsman in history!" he smacked her across the face knocking her back down.

"As for me? I will do what I do best! Lie, steal, cheat, and survive-!" Roman ranted off on his fingers as Slade tackled him seconds before he was eaten by Grimm. The Grimm roared soaring for Ruby, she jumped onto it's head crashing it into the control room on the ship.

"Now why, why, why would you do that?" Roman asked standing up with a shocked expression on his face, it quickly turned to anger. Roman placed his boot on Slade's chest aiming his cane for his face "News flash: I'm the one who's trying to kill you!" he yelled. Suddenly the ship started to descend rapidly as explosions tore through it. Roman stumbled off of him at the force of the explosions, he scowled as he steadied himself.

"I'll let you live this time... I can't say the same for my employers" Roman warned lifting his cane into the air it latched onto the talon of a Grimm pulling him off the ship "Adios!" he called back.

"We've got to go!" Ruby yelled picking him up and handing him his blade.

"I've noticed!" he yelled back as they ran for Crescent Rose. Ruby grabbed it and launched them both off the ship freefalling through Grimm "Hold on!" he yelled wrapping his arms around her as he teleported them both. They appeared in the school courtyard crashing into the ground hard, they both rolled to a stop separating as they crashed.

"Slade? Are you okay?" Ruby asked standing back up.

"Yeah... think I'll just lay here for a minute" he groaned out painfully. Ruby helped him to his feet with a light giggle.

"What should we do?" she asked looking around and watching the teachers and students all fighting against the Grimm.

"Save the day?" Slade asked.

"I like that plan"

* * *

"This could've been our day! Can't you see that?!" Adam yelled angrily at Blake.

"I never wanted this!" Blake yelled back gesturing around her "I wanted equality! I wanted peace!" Blake shoots at him, he blocks the bullets easily with his blade.

"What you want is impossible!" he backhanded her sheathing his sword knocking her over "But I understand because all I want is you, Blake"

Blake attempted to attack him only for Adam to knock her weapon from her hand pushing her over once more.

"As I set upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything that you love!" he yelled.

"Blake! Blake!" Yang's voice could be heard calling out for her.

"Starting with her" he smirked.

Adam draws his sword and stabs it into Blake's abdomen near her left hip causing her to shriek in pain.

"Blake?" Yang's voice called looking in to see her and Adam, he stood upright turning his attention toward her.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Yang yelled charging Adam.

"No... please..." Blake begged gasping for breath.

Adam sheathes his sword, smiling. Yang screams, her eyes turning red and a burst of flame erupting from her. She leaps at Adam, drawing her fist back with tears in her eyes. Adam swiftly draws his sword, swinging it through the air at Yang, as his Semblance activates. Yang suddenly vanished as he sliced through the air.

"What?" Adam asked confused, he heard the tables behind him crash, turning he saw Yang and Slade laying on the ground both groaning in pain.

"That hurt" Slade groaned lifting himself off the floor "But at least I made it in time"

"What the hell, Slade?" Yang yelled standing up "I had him-"

"No, you didn't"

"You're the one Cinder has told me so much about... It's a pleasure to finally meet you" Adam bowed slightly.

"Can't say the same for you. Blake never even talks about you when she brings up the White Fang"

"You and I both know that isn't true" Adam replied with a confident smirk.

"What was your name again? I can't seem to recall... oh well, you must not be that important" Adam growled in annoyance.

"Not important am I?"

"Well if you were, I would surely know you"

"You think just because I am a Faunus you can just mock me so easily?"

"I don't see a Faunus anywhere... only garbage" Slade shot back unsheathing his blade.

"What's the plan here?" Yang asked.

"Someone needs to get Blake help, she's been hurt"

"I can handle him-"

"If I hadn't intervened you could've been in the same condition she is, or worse" Slade shot back "I can do this, they're gonna need you out there handling the Grimm"

Yang reluctantly nodded "Be careful, okay. I don't want you dying on my conscience" she picked up Blake in her arms.

"Don't worry about me"

"You're not going anywhere!" Adam yelled as he attacked Yang as she fled, his blade clashed with Slade's instead.

"I'm dislike being ignored" Slade growled.

"Much faster than I expected you to be" Adam admitted looking over his shoulder at Yang's retreating form.

"You cannot afford to be distracted" Slade warned sliding his blade to the left then kicking his abdomen throwing him back into the wall.

"Guess I don't have much choice" Adam groaned lifting himself out of the indentation in the wall "Guess I'll kill you first"

"Give me your best shot... Perry?" Slade asked mockingly, earning a growl from Adam.

Adam charged forward with a downward strike, Slade blocked it easily countering with a horizontal slash for his legs forcing him back a step. Lurching forward he attempted to impale Slade only to be sidestepped and elbowed in the face. Striking downward once more he was blocked yet again, forcing his blade up he left himself an opening to attack Slade, slicing for his chest. Slade jumped back then shifted his head to the right narrowly avoiding his strikes. Slicing outward he forced Adam back several feet to avoid his attacks, he struck hard for his head clashing with his own.

"You're training is clearly far from over, boy!" Adam taunted head-butting him to the floor, knocking his blade into a nearby wall as Slade fell onto his back.

Adam spun his blade around thrusting it for his chest, Slade used his gauntlets to catch the blade between them. Pushing his blade back he stood up only to get slashed across his back causing him to yell out in pain falling forward.

"You have failed, Slade... even now everyone you love is going to die from the Grimm, White Fang, or Cinder. Nothing you do can stop this from happening.

"My friends are stronger than you think" Slade shot back over his shoulder.

"You deceive yourself!" Adam yelled lurching forward to strike him. Slade easily blocked the strikes with his gauntlets, Adam kicked him in the chest knocking him onto his back again.

"Look, I have a message from your precious headmaster" Adam said pulling out his scroll to show a video of Cinder fighting Ozpin. Slade kicked Adam in the face throwing him onto his back, Adam sliced his shoulder as he fell dropping Slade onto his knees.

"After he is dead, you shall be delivered to Salem for punishment for interfering with out plans and rejecting her offer... I cannot imagine she will be merciful" Adam continued standing back up.

"That's not gonna happen. Ozpin is stronger than Cinder, trust me, I have faced them both"

"Ah but you have yet to face her with her newfound powers. She will be more than a match for him. And you" Adam taunted. Slade appeared behind him slamming his fist into his back then again in front of him kicking him into the air, he slammed his foot onto his chest throwing Adam into the floor. Standing back up Adam twisted around stabbing his blade forward through Slade's abdomen as he appeared there. Slade groaned painfully on his blade.

"You fast, but you're style is far too direct. Almost obvious" he grinned twisting the blade painfully.

"You haven't won yet" he spat.

"Oh, but I have... you see without you, your school won't last-" Adam was interrupted by Slade removing his blade from the wall and slicing through his arm severing it from his body, Adam fell onto his back writhing in pain.

"No, you haven't" he replied removing his blade from his abdomen and tossing it onto the floor next to him.

"This isn't over" Adam swore picking up his blade and fleeing quickly.

"Slade!" he heard Weiss's voice calling from outside.

"In here!" he shouted falling onto one knee.

"Slade! What happened?" Ruby asked entering the room with Weiss.

"Is Blake alright, where's Yang?" Slade asked.

"Blake's getting medical attention right now, Yang's helping protect the injured she sent us to find you"

"Glad to hear it, I'm gonna need some help" Slade choked out struggling to stand up.

"Of course" Ruby replied as they both let him lean on their shoulders, he limped his way out toward the injured.

"We need a doctor!" Weiss yelled. Yang ran up to them taking him from them.

"I've got him" Yang said easily lifting him with one arm.

"Glad to see you're both safe" Slade sighed laying beside Blake on the ground as Yang placed him down gently.

"What happened?" Blake asked.

"Taurus got away... Took a few bad hits during our fight, but he didn't get away clean either" he answered with a groan.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked curiously.

"Took off his left arm, he wasn't too happy about it" Slade laughed.

"He's not gonna forget that anytime soon" Yang warned.

"I'd hope not, I won't be forgetting what he did here"

"Is Slade going to be okay?" Ruby asked concerned.

"He'll be fine, we're taking care of him. Everyone here will be in the safe zone soon then we'll take the school back" Sun said placing his hand onto her shoulder.

"Take it back?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, thanks to Slade here Atlas was ready for a fight the minute the attack started. We've already driven off most of the Grimm and White Fang have evacuated completely" Sun explained.

"So we're planning a counter attack?" Slade asked.

"Soon as we're done evacuating. Just get on the ship-"

"Pyrrha and Jaune are still missing" Nora said worriedly.

"What?"

"Look, guys, that giant Grimm is circling the school. We all have to go now" Neptune pointed out.

"We're not leaving" Ren replied standing up then falling down on one knees "Ugh!"

"I'll find them, I'll find them and bring them back" Ruby promised.

"No! We'll find them. Look after Slade and Blake. We'll be back" Weiss ordered Yang before rushing off with Ruby.

"Take care of Slade for me!" Ruby shouted back as she ran.

"You better be!" Yang shouted after them concerned "I promise" Yang whispered to herself.

"Idiots!" Sun groaned.

"She'll be ok" Slade assured squeezing Yang's hand trying to comfort her.

Yang's scroll rang connecting a call between her and Weiss with Jaune "It's Jaune!" she yelled answering it "Where are you?" she asked.

"You have to stop her!" Jaune yelled into the scroll frantically.

"What? Stop who?" Weiss asked.

"Pyrrha! She's going after that woman at the top of the tower! She doesn't stand a chance!" Jaune answered unable to control the volume of his voice.

"Jaune, what're you talking about? Where are you?" Ruby asked.

"Cinder" Slade growled.

"Don't worry about me!" he yelled "Please... you have to save Pyrrha" he begged the sadness clear in his voice.

"We will. Are you okay?" Weiss asked as the call dropped on Jaune's end.

"What're we gonna do?" Yang asked as they hung up.

"I need to get up there" Slade said standing back up painfully.

"Oh, no you don't I promised my sister I was gonna keep you safe, I'm not letting you go off and get yourself killed" Yang argued.

"We both know you can't stop me" Slade shot back his tone turning dark "If I don't get up there and one of my friends die I won't be able to live with myself"

"How do you expect us to be able to live with ourselves if you go get yourself killed?"

"I'll make sure I don't die" he answered with a cocky grin.

"Slade I'm not gonna-" Yang stopped noticing Slade had vanished "That idiot!" she yelled punching the ground in rage cracking it underneath her fist.

* * *

Ruby ran along the side of the tower up to Ozpin's office, arriving she found Cinder loosing an arrow toward a kneeling and helpless Pyrrha. Instead of piercing her chest, the arrow found itself in the hand of Slade standing between them both.

"Slade Stroud... ever the thorn in my side" Cinder sighed.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled worriedly.

"What're you doing here?" Pyrrha asked confused.

"Saving you, from the looks of it" he answered with a wink.

"You're supposed to be on the airship to Vale!" Ruby yelled.

"I couldn't leave knowing Pyrrha was in danger, I wasn't going to let you fight Cinder on your own"

"I can handle myself, you need to get onto that airship" Ruby lectured as she prepared Crescent Rose to attack, Cinder formed a blade of fire in her hands. Ruby launched herself at Cinder, she easily deflecting Crescent Rose thrusting her blade toward her chest. Slade caught the blade in his hand stopping it from hitting Ruby and Pushing her away from them.

"Ruby, she's too strong. You have to get Pyrrha out of here"

"What about you? How do I know you'll come back to me?" Ruby asked concerned.

"I will not allow my friends to die... trust me, Ruby. I will be fine"

"Fine then" Ruby relented running over to Pyrrha and helping her to her feet.

"Slade won't be able to take her on his own, not in his injured state" Pyrrha said leaning on Ruby's side.

"I know. Slade can keep her busy long enough for me to get back to help" she replied.

"I'm not going to be letting you go that easily" Cinder growled as Slade broke the blade in his hand. Cinder kicked for his head, Slade crouched under her kick placing his hands on the ground with a wall of ice appearing around them.

"Ice? How?" Cinder asked confused.

"I've picked up a few things since our last battle, souvenir from my last tournament match" Slade taunted rushing her. Cinder stabbed a second blade into his uninjured shoulder stopping him in his tracks. Slade struck for her head with his blade only for her to shift her head to the right dodging him. Jumping backward off her blade he held his shoulder in pain.

"You should never have tried to fight someone in your injured state, let alone me" Cinder laughed placing her hand onto the wall and shattering it around them.

"We'll I guess I'm gluttonous for punishment" Slade coughed into his hand.

"You'll wish you weren't" Cinder created another flame sword in her free hand dropping into an attack stance then charged him.

Slade blocked her furious strikes with his own blade barely managing to keep up with her. Struggling due to his injuries he lowered himself down onto one knee, with a powerful strike he shattered the blade in her left hand.

"Too slow!" Cinder yelled striking at him with the opposite blade only to clash with his gauntlet.

"Your arrogance is unbearable" Slade groaned out in pain from his multitude of injuries.

"You're much stronger than I would've expected you to be. Considering your current condition though... you won't be able to fight for too much longer" Cinder mused aloud.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that" Slade dropped down onto both knees freeing her blade from his gauntlet, Cinder used this opportunity to strike for his throat. Slade's katana changed hands allowing him to block the strike but be knocked over by the force behind it.

"Enough of the bravado. You've already lost, I'm invincible now" she stated proudly.

"Really? Is that what Salem told you?" Slade asked standing back up weakly in a defensive stance "You weren't able to kill me before, that hasn't changed yet" he goaded.

"What exactly do you hope to gain here? It's obvious you won't be able to win this fight. Why resist?" Cinder asked genuinely curious.

"I'm not trying to win... my only goal is to buy those precious to me enough time to escape. That's all that matters"

"Then perhaps I should just send my pet after them" she grinned gesturing to the Grimm Dragon perched behind her.

"I may be weakened right now, but we both know if you turn your attention else where I will kill you. That's why you haven't already" Slade explained his legs buckling underneath him.

"You're right, I don't want to take any chances with you after what you did to Taurus. I won't suffer the same fate-" Slade appeared behind her slicing his blade for her head, she lifted her hand up in defense shattering his blade. Slade was knocked back slightly by the force.

"What're you going to do now, Slade? You're weaponless" Cinder taunted.

"True Huntsmen are never unarmed" Slade replied looking at his fist before striking Cinder in the face, her face recoiled with the blow her hand shooting up to hold it in pain. Slade hit her again in her abdomen then her face, kicking her knee she stumbled as she attempted to defend herself. Slade caught her blade in his hand, then slammed his foot into her chest throwing her backwards onto her knees. Looking back up at him, Cinder grinned, Slade's surprised expression was short lived as the blade in his hand exploded throwing him back, his eye shut to protect them from the fire.

Opening his eyes he saw Cinder striking upward for his face. Jumping back away from her attack her blade cut over his left eyelid "Ugh!" Slade groaned flipping onto his back in the air placing his hand over his eye in pain.

"You can't escape now!" Cinder grinned wickedly flipping toward him swinging her blade down onto his face. Her blade clashed with Crescent Rose instead shocking her.

"I won't let you hurt him anymore!" Ruby yelled a determined glint in her eye.

"Ruby?" Slade groaned out in confusion "What're you doing here?"

"Saving you from the looks of it" she shot back with a smirk. Cinder pushed her scythe up with her left heel then kicked Ruby in the face with her right throwing her into the air.

"You're mine!" she yelled firing a massive blast of fire toward her. Ruby fired her scythe throwing her above the blast only to meet Cinder in the air. Slade appeared between them blocking the strike with his gauntlet shattering it with the opposite arm then roundhouse kicking Cinder back down. Slade dropped onto his knees as he landed weak from blood loss.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"I wasn't expecting you to come back" he laughed ruefully.

"I got Weiss to take Pyrrha once I reached the ground. Hard part was getting back up here"

"Isn't this cute... the love birds are going to die together" Cinder laughed.

"Not today we aren't" Ruby shot back as Slade fell onto his back unconscious.

"You think you can escape me? Is that it?"

"Slade we need to get out of here. You're in no condition to fight" Ruby said turning to him worriedly, she noticed his unconscious form "Slade!"

"You're done for" Cinder said appearing in front of Ruby with another blade in hand.

"Ruby!" Qrow's voice yelled as he attempted to stop the attack. Ruby closed her eyes in fear hearing the blade pierce her chest, opening her eyes slowly when she felt nothing she was shocked at the sight in front of her.

"No... it can't be... please" tears began to stream down her face.

Slade stood between her and Cinder with her blade through his torso his hand pierced on the end of it closed into a fist stopping it from touching Ruby. Looking up into his eyes Ruby found him to still be unconscious. Qrow grabbed her shoulders trying to shake her from her trance.

"We've gotta go!" Qrow yelled.

"Shame... I expected more from him" Cinder mused thrusting her blade out forcefully to the right Slade flew off the end of it soaring over the edge of the tower.

Ruby screamed in agony as her eyes lit up emanating a powerful white light engulfing everything it touch causing Cinder to scream in anguish and the Grimm Dragon to roar painfully.

* * *

Ruby sleeps in an familiar bed, wearing gray pajamas. Birds are chirping and sunlight is streaming onto the wall behind the bed's headboard. After a few seconds, she wakes up and looks over to see her father asleep in a chair. She sits up and sighs quietly, causing Taiyang to stir awake.

"Ruby!" He gets up and runs to kneel by her bed "You're awake!" he nearly shouted.

"Ugh... what happened?" Ruby asked not fully awake.

"Your uncle Qrow found you, just before you fell unconscious. He got you out of there, though, and brought you home safe"

"Wait! Yang! Is she alright!?" Ruby asked concerned.

"Uh... She's uh... she's gonna be alright. I think she's just... it's gonna take some time to recover" he covers his eyes for a moment, sniffling, then looks up, smiling "I'm just glad to have my girls back at home"

"What happened to the school?! And Vale?! Were they able to clear out the Grimm?"

"Everything is fine, Ruby. Ozpin was able to get rid of the remaining Grimm around the school and Vale is safe. It's gonna be some time but they're rebuilding everything"

"Thank goodness" Ruby sighed in relief.

"We got lucky that's for sure. Could've been a lot worse... it's still a mess though"

"It's always a mess" Qrow sighed. Ruby and Tai look to see Qrow suddenly standing in the room, near the door. He finishes off the contents of his flask before continuing "Mind if we have a minute?"

"What, I can't stay here?!"

"Tai, please"

Taiyang stands up, sighs, and then leans in to kiss Ruby on the forehead. "I'm glad you're alright" he starts walking away "I'll go make us some tea" Taiyang glares at Qrow on the way out, but the latter doesn't appear to care. As Qrow approaches Ruby's bed, he grabs the chair and drags it with him. He then spins it around to face the bed and sits in it with a significant slouch, crossing one leg over the other.

"So, how you feeling?"

"Um... I kind of hurt... all over" Ruby answered earning a chuckle from him.

"That makes sense, after what you did" Qrow crossed his arm.

"What I... did?" she asked confused. He uncrosses his arms and legs, leaning forward in the chair.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"You asking me what the last thing I remember is" she answered.

"Let me rephrase" he chuckled "What's the last thing you remember before waking up in your bed this morning?"

"I ran up the side of the tower, and when I got to the top to help Slade fight Cinder-" Ruby gasped "Slade! What happened? Is he...?" she let the question hang in the air.

"I'm sorry, kiddo" Qrow shook his head somberly.

"I... I..." tears began to stream from her eyes "I arrived at the tower and attacked Cinder, she kicked me back and Slade caught me, then he fell unconscious and Cinder went to stab me... Slade saved my life even after falling unconscious" she wept into her hands. Qrow stood from his chair sitting down next to Ruby he placed his arms around her as she collapsed into his chest. They remained this way for several minutes until she stopped sobbing.

"Do you remember anything else?"

"I remember... my head hurting, and everything went white" she answered wiping her tears with her sleeve.

"The night you met Ozpin, what was the first thing he said to you?" Qrow asked.

"I... I don't know. I think it was something about..."

"Silver eyes. That's an extremely rare trait" he stood from the bed and approached the window.

"So?"

"You're special, Ruby. And not in the "Daddy loves his special angel" kind of way. You're special the same way your mom was. Remnant's full of legends and stories, some of them true, some made up. But there's one Oz told me from a very long time ago. Back before Huntsmen, before Kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were afraid of those silver-eyed warriors. They were the best of the best. It was said that even a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down. Heh. It's a ridiculous story"

"But... you think that I might be..."

Qrow chuckled "Well, a giant monster was frozen atop Beacon Tower. And you're here, safe in bed" he gets to his feet and walks over to a window, leaning on the sill and staring outside.

"Wait, wait, how did you know what Ozpin said to me... the night we met?"

"All those missions I go on... all the times I'm away in some far-off place... it's been for Ozpin"

"What could I do? If I'm so special, then I can help, right?"

"You really wanna help? Get some rest. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now" he walked toward the door "Besides, Ozpin wants to speak with you when you get up and ready. He wants to see us"

"Us?"

"That's right, pipsqueak" he winked before leaving.

"Wait" she called after him stopping him in the doorway "What'd they do with the body?" Ruby asked.

"Slade's?" Qrow asked for clarification, Ruby nodded hesitantly "We never found one" Qrow answered looking away from her, he turned walking away.

Ruby sat alone for a while. She looks at the window that Qrow looked out of, then stares at herself in a mirror hanging on the wall across from her bed. Getting up she walked to Yang's room to find her sitting in the room alone watching out her window silently.

"Yang" she called. Yang flinched lightly but didn't turn around to face her. Ruby turned to leave.

"Ruby" Yang called back stopping her, Ruby reentered the room with a small smile.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Ruby yelled grabbing her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Ruby" she cried into her shoulder.

"For what?"

"I couldn't stop Slade from going into the tower. He's dead because of me"

"That's not true, Yang. None of us would've been able to stop him from going up into that tower. Pyrrha's alive because he did, I wasn't fast enough"

"That's what she told us too"

"What happened after I pass out?"

"Ozpin showed up from wherever he had been hiding and saved everyone. I guess Cinder incapacitated him or something. He killed the dragon you froze and the rest of the Grimm ran, then he took charge of everyone calming the rest of the kingdoms who were panicking"

"What about our friends?"

"Slade was the only one who died thanks to him warning us about the attack and his intervention with Pyrrha and Penny. I might be dead if he hadn't shown up to fight Adam Taurus" she admitted "Other than that everyone else is helping with repairs, Weiss was taken back home by her father and Blake ran away... again"

"What do you mean?"

"Weiss's father came and took her back to Atlas to "ensure her safety" Weiss wasn't very happy about it, she was worried about you. Blake... she ran the moment we got to town and she was healed enough to leave. She just took off without even saying goodbye"

"What about you? You never said how you're doing?" Ruby asked placing her arm on her thigh concerned.

"I can't be a Huntress anymore" she answered.

"What?" Ruby asked confused.

"I couldn't protect anyone. Not Blake, not Pyrrha... not Slade" she cried again tears falling onto the sheets of her bed "If I can't protect my friends then why even fight?" Yang asked.

"You can't give up-"

"Yes I can!" Yang yelled her eyes turning red. Ruby shrank away from her shaking slightly, Yang's face softened when she did this "Just... I need to be alone for now" Yang said closing her eyes holding back more tears.

"I... understand" Ruby nodded walking out of the room sadly.

Walking out into the hallway she found Ozpin, Qrow and Tai all sitting at the table together.

"Ruby" Ozpin greeted happy to see she was alright.

"Ozpin!" she grabbed him into a hug, he returned the hug with a small laugh.

"I'm pleased to see you have recovered" his face darkened "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help Slade. He deserved better"

"You did all you could, Oz. That kid saved more lives than we expected. We didn't lose anyone during the whole attack because of his warning"

"And his actions" Ozpin shot back "Rescuing Ms. Nikos and Ms. Polendina was no small feat"

"Agreed. That kid is a hero" Tai sighed taking a sip from his mug.

"I shall see to it he is properly recognized for his heroism in all the kingdoms" Ozpin assured placing his hand onto Ruby's shoulder.

"Thank you, but what're you doing here, Professor"

"I have a mission for you and your Uncle"

"Really?" Ruby asked surprised.

"Yes, Ozpin. Really?" Tai asked slightly annoyed.

"Yes, I will give you the full details tomorrow" he answered turning to leave "You will all be attending the service tomorrow?" Ozpin asked without turning to them as he stood in the doorway.

"Wouldn't miss it, I owe him everything. He saved both my daughters after all" Tai answered.

"Thank you... please ensure they meet with me afterward, Qrow" he ordered leaving. Qrow sighed shaking his head slightly annoyed.

"What service?" Ruby asked curiously.

* * *

 **"That's all for now folks! This is not the end of the story in case you were worried, trust me there will be more chapters ahead. They will probably take me slightly longer to write than the previous ones, thank you all for your patience and support.**


	15. Bad Luck Charm

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen: Bad Luck Charm**

"We Huntsmen... often don't live that long" Ozpin began standing in front of the crowd of students and their families crowded around the podium. Ruby was being held by Yang and Qrow as she struggled to keep her tears at bay.

"You have to walk away from your old life, and be prepared to do anything to stop the world's next crisis... that means some pretty extreme things. Whatever it takes to bring victory and save those who cannot save themselves. Because we're the only ones who can... the only ones willing to make the decisions... sacrifices..." Ruby was unable to stop the tears from flowing, along with Pyrrha and Jaune.

"Friends... we're gathered here to honor Slade Stroud, the Huntsman who saved us all during this terrible attack. Slade gave his life to save many of us, without his warning of the attack; we could've lost so much more... We must never forget his sacrifice. It was no accident he was here... he was... special. Each of us here today has had our lives touched by him in some way. Slade knew just how important it was that we don't just fight the monsters known as the Grimm, but also the monsters among our very society. Those who would do us harm just for their own selfish ambitions. Slade was a man who so often placed the needs and welfare of others above his own, even those who didn't deserve it... so I ask you all here today... how do you properly honor someone like that? There was a somber silence hanging over the crowd.

"I believe we've made a good start" Ozpin said removing the covering from a statue behind him revealing a large statue of Slade pointing his blade to the sky triumphantly "This statue shall remain as a reminder of that dreadful night and as a memorial for a hero who died fighting for what he believed and loved" Ozpin finished, looking out into the saddened crowd he asked.

"Would anyone else like to say something?"

"I would" Ruby's hand shot up immediately tears staining her features.

"Come forward then, Ruby Rose" Ozpin offered allowing her to come onto the podium, Ruby wiped away her tears before starting.

"Slade... was more than just a friend and a teammate to me... he wasn't just the hero we all know him to be today. I loved him... I...I only wish I could've done more for him while he was still here, he always did so much for me; for all of us! It didn't matter if the problem was as big as a Grimm attack or as small as a broken pencil. Slade was always there to help no matter the circumstance... I don't know if anyone here knows just how pure of heart he was... but I do. Slade you will be missed, by all of us" she finished as her tears began to fall again, she walked off the podium. Ruby's speech was followed by multiple others, Yang, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Oobleck, Glynda. Everyone there had something to say before the service was over.

"I want to thank all of you for being here today. Slade Stroud shall be honored here at this school for generations to come. That is all that can be said, for nothing more could do justice to his memory. The memory of a man who died; not just for us... but for everyone" Ozpin finished walking off the podium, everyone began talking amongst themselves, Ruby and Yang shared a hug as they both wiped their tears away.

"I'm so sorry, Ruby"

Me too, Yang. Me too"

"You going to be okay?" Nora asked approaching with her team.

"Soon... I don't really know where to go from here" Ruby answered.

"You'll figure it out" Weiss's voice replied surprising her.

"Weiss?" she asked turning around to find Jaune holding his scroll with Weiss on it.

"Sorry, Ruby. I wasn't able to attend in person thanks to my father" Weiss sighed "I really wish I could've been there for you"

"Thanks Weiss, it means a lot that you'd attend even if you couldn't do it in person" Ruby smiled.

"Unlike someone we know" Yang scowled.

"Blake isn't there is she?" Weiss asked already knowing the answer.

"She ran, just like she always does... Can't believe I thought she'd stay"

"Blake warned us we could get hurt associating with her because of her ties to the White Fang"

"Slade was the only one that was hurt! Blake had no right to just ran away like nothing ever happened!" Yang yelled her eyes flashing red.

"Yang... please" Pyrrha placed her hand onto Yang's shoulder.

"No! You all may be able to forgive her, but Slade was gravely injured protecting her! Protecting me! The least she could've done is stayed for his memorial before taking off! She didn't even say goodbye!"

"I think your friend might have better reasons for leaving than you know" Qrow pointed out "I know how it feels to want to distance yourself from those you care about... sometimes running away is harder than staying" Yang's eyes returned to their natural lilac.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that for me to forgive Blake"

"Ms. Rose" Ozpin called gaining her attention "When you're done here please meet me in... what's left of my office" he asked placing his hand onto her shoulder "I'm sorry I cannot do more for you" he sighed turning to leave.

"What does he want?" Yang asked surprised.

"He has a mission for the pipsqueak and I" Qrow answered.

"A mission? She just woke up yesterday-" Yang protested.

"If you were still willing to be a Huntress you'd be coming too" Qrow explained "It's too important to wait" he added walking toward the office "I'll meet you there when your done, kiddo. Take as long as you need"

* * *

Ozpin stood in his office watching out of the partially reconstructed hole in the wall. Sighing as Qrow entered the office "How long do you expect them to be?" he asked without turning toward him.

"JNPR is already on it's way up. Ruby might be longer though... she's hurting bad, Oz. I don't think she should be going on this mission with us"

"I also would rather she remain here and allow her time to grieve. Unfortunately, Salem knows about her silver eyes now. She won't be safe here, the best thing to do is keep her moving so she's harder to track down"

"That's why you're sending me with her?"

"No, I'm sending you because it's necessary. Her friends are coming to help keep her safe, they've more than proven they're up to the task"

"Professor?" Ruby's voice called from behind them as she entered with JNPR "You wanted to see us"

"Indeed... I have an important mission for you all" Ozpin answered turning back to them with a comforting smile.

"A mission? Already? We haven't even-" Jaune interrupted only to be stopped by Pyrrha's hand gesturing to him be quiet.

"You're right to be concerned, Mr. Arc. Many of your friends have only just recovered from the attack and are still processing. But this mission must be done and I cannot spare the teachers to send them all on this mission"

"What is the mission, Professor?" Ren asked curiously.

"General Ironwood has informed me that the credentials of our attackers were forged. They're true credentials have been erased from our systems completely. There's only four people in the world who have that level of access including myself and the General"

"You want us to find who did it?" Nora asked.

"Yes, we believe Headmaster Leonardo Lionheart to be the one responsible as their credentials listed them as students from Haven Academy. We have no solid evidence it is him, so be cautious and keep your mind open to the possibility he may be innocent"

"How long ago did we discover this?" Qrow asked.

"The night of the attack"

"Slade told you about Cinder the day after her attack during the dance and you still didn't do a background check on them?" Ruby asked struggling to hide her annoyance.

"Believe me Ms. Rose, I did everything I could to find out more about Cinder. But I had no way to know about their forged credentials with no record of their previous files"

"What made Ironwood think to check them when he did?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"Slade suggested he did the day before. Ironwood still didn't trust him completely at the time, and Slade was too busy guarding Yang to do it himself"

"That kid always hit the mark didn't he?" Qrow asked with a small smirk.

"Slade was far more astute than he let on... very rarely were his theories wrong"

"So to clarify, you want us to head to Haven to find proof the headmaster is working with Cinder?" Jaune asked.

"Yes"

"Then why're you sending all of us? Qrow could easily do a mission like this on his own" he asked, Ozpin remained silent looking down at the floor, he sighed deeply.

"I suppose not telling you would just make your jobs harder... Cinder isn't the mastermind of the attack on Beacon. She serves another"

"There's someone stronger than Cinder!? That's just great!" Nora huffed crossing her arms.

"Salem is her name, she is the most powerful adversary I have ever faced. She is stronger than I am"

"Stronger than you, Professor?" Pyrrha asked.

"Salem's power level is terrifying... she knows about Ruby's silver eyes"

"Her only weakness" Qrow added.

"Salem won't rest until she has captured or killed Ruby. Leaving her here will be too dangerous for everyone. Sending her away is the only way to ensure the safety of both Ruby and her family"

"You're sending us to keep her protected then?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, it will be much harder to track you down while you're on the move but not impossible. Someone will find you eventually, that's the reason the four of you are going. Qrow and Ruby's mission shall be to find the evidence on Leonardo. The four of you shall assist but your primary concern is Ruby's safety"

"I suppose that makes sense" Ren agreed rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"None of you have to agree to this mission. It's your choice to go or not. I sincerely hope you decide to tag along with him Ruby" Ozpin explained.

"I'm game" Nora cracked her knuckles "I see Cinder again, it'll be payback time for Slade!"

"You can count me in too then" Ren chuckled.

"We're coming too" Jaune answered with a nod from Pyrrha. Ruby sat silently contemplating her options.

"Ruby?" Qrow asked concerned.

"I...I'll go. Just let me say goodbye to Dad and Yang" Ruby answered.

"Of course, You will be traveling on foot to Mistral, the more you move the harder to pin down you'll be. Once you're in Mistral contact me and I will set up a meeting with Lionheart. Be cautious though, it could be a trap"

"Understood" Qrow nodded.

"How long do you think it'll take to get there walking?" Jaune asked.

"About three weeks"

"Three weeks!" Nora yelled.

"It gives us enough time to rebuild the school for me to properly have an excuse to send you to Lionheart" Ozpin explained.

"Makes sense" Pyrrha agreed.

"Why leave now then? If we left by shuttle in two weeks we could be there before the end of the week" Jaune asked.

"Ruby will remain here for two weeks then. If someone were to come for her she could place a lot of people in danger" Ozpin explained.

"Oh... right"

"I know you're all capable of keeping her safe. Just don't overdo it, I don't want to lose anymore students this year"

"I think they've all earned the title of Huntsmen and Huntress by now, Oz"

"Quite right. But they're still students after all"

"We'll be fine" Ruby assured with a confident smile.

"I'm glad to hear it" Ozpin smiled warmly toward the group.

"May I ask you a question?" Ruby asked timidly.

"Of course"

"What happened to Penny after the attack?" she asked hope showing clear in her eyes.

"Ms. Polendina saved many lives during the attack. Without her help I doubt we would've been as successful as we were. Afterwards however, Ironwood decided to take her back to Atlas with him when he left, she was very concerned about your condition. I asked Ironwood to inform her when your condition improved"

"Thank you, Professor. Penny may not be human, but she's a good person, and a good friend"

"My thoughts exactly... There is one more thing I wanted to give you, Ruby" Ozpin said moving behind his destroyed desk.

"What is it-" Ruby stopped at seeing the case. Ozpin handed her a wooden case holding the destroyed remains of Obsidian.

"I think he would've wanted you to have it"

"T-thank you, Professor" she took the case gingerly from him a stray tear finding it's way onto the case.

"Don't thank me, Ruby. Not for this... stay safe" he finished turning back to staring out of the tower darkly.

"Of course" Ruby nodded her head in understanding.

"You're all dismissed" Ruby and the others all went to the elevator excluding Qrow.

"Oz-"

"All of you" he added, Qrow nodded turning toward the door.

"Stay safe, Oz" he called before the door closed. Ozpin waited several minutes for the elevator to come back up empty. He screamed in rage smashing his cane into the broken desk and the wall in blind fury. Throwing his cane to the ground he slumped his back against the wall and allowed the tears to finally fall.

"I'm sorry, Slade... I'm so sorry" he whispered through his sobs.

* * *

"You're leaving already?" Tai asked worried.

"Sorry, Dad. But if someone is coming after me, staying here will only put you and Yang in danger too. I need to leave" Ruby explained slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"You don't have to worry about Yang and I. We can take care of ourselves just fine, if you want to stay you can"

"My friends are going on the mission whether I do or not, if something happened to them and I wasn't there. I'd never forgive myself"

"Look, Ruby, I know you're hurting right now and you're probably not thinking clearly, putting yourself in harms way because your worried about your friends is noble and all but you don't needlessly endanger yourself-"

"That's not what this is, Dad. I'm glad you're worried about me, but I'm going on this mission"

"I-I'd come but I-I-I-" Tai stuttered out. Ruby silenced him with a hug.

"Don't worry, Dad. I know Yang needs you right now. Uncle Qrow will take good care of us"

"I... I know, just stay safe for me. Okay?" he asked returning the hug.

"You've got it" Ruby smiled ending the hug "I need to say goodbye to Yang then I'm off" she called back walking to Yang's room. Entering she found Yang dismantling her gauntlets.

"You're really not gonna be a Huntress anymore, huh?" Ruby asked.

"Yup" Yang answered popping the p on the end.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to Slade"

"If I don't hold myself responsible for my failures, who will?" she asked turning back toward Ruby.

"Blame Cinder, sis. She's the one who did this to us, not you"

"But-" Yang was cut off by Ruby grabbing her into a hug.

"No buts, missy" she smiled into her shoulder.

"I..." Yang stopped hugging her sister back, breaking apart Ruby smiled ruefully at her.

"I should get going"

"Where are you off to?"

"Mistral, Ozpin gave me a mission with Uncle Qrow and JNPR"

"You're walking to Mistral?"

"Yup"

"That'll take weeks"

"That's the plan, sis. We're keeping me on the move so no one can catch me easily"

"Catch you? Who'd be coming after you?"

"Cinder, or someone working with her" Ruby answered.

"I should be going with you" Yang sighed.

"You still can"

"It'd take me too long to get these fixed" Yang gestured to her dismantled gauntlets.

"You don't plan on fighting anymore anyway, it's alright. If you change your mind, you know where I'll be headed" Ruby added with a smile as she left the room. Yang slammed her fist into her table her eyes flashing red once she was gone as she fought back tears.

"All set then?" Jaune asked as Ruby stepped outside.

"All set. You sure you guys want to tag along?" she asked in return.

"We wouldn't be here if we weren't prepared" Ren answered with a reassuring smile. Nora and Jaune nodded in agreement.

"I owe Slade for saving my life, the least I can do is make sure you stay alive" Pyrrha said placing her hand onto Ruby's shoulder.

"Thanks, I know he'd appreciate it"

"Let's go slowpokes! We're burning daylight" Qrow called from the edge of the trees.

"Coming!" Ruby yelled rushing to catch up to him with the others following behind her.

* * *

Roman sat in a bar with Neo leaning against it to his left and an empty glass in hand, slamming his hand down he yelled "Another!"

"Coming right up!" the bartender called back. Neo placed her arm on his shoulder with a concerned expression on her face. Roman looked back at her sighing he patted her head with a small smile.

"I'm fine, Neo. Just... confused. I promise this is the last one"

"Don't go leaving on us so soon" Mercury's voice called from behind him. Roman turned around to find him, Emerald and Adam Taurus standing there behind him.

"You look like shit" Roman laughed as his drink showed up.

"You're one to talk" Emerald shot back.

"Was talking to the animal" Roman shot back earning a growl from the one armed Faunus.

"I don't think he likes you" Mercury chuckled.

"Easy, Taurus. We're just here to talk" Emerald warned.

"Talk fast. I'm leaving once I finish my drink"

"We want to know why you haven't contacted us since the attack"

"Cinder and Taurus got their asses handed to them by the same kid. Excuse me if my faith in you guys is gone"

"You agreed to work with us-"

"I agreed to help you take down, Beacon. I did my job nearly to perfection. You guys screwed up big time with the attack"

"You left in the middle of the attack"

"I escaped when I saw things heading downhill. I don't know about you, but when the building is falling down, I don't desperately try and keep it standing, I just make sure I'm out of the way when it does"

"You seemed so determined to keep Cinder happy when you started working for us. What changed?"

"I never cared about keeping Cinder happy, I cared about keeping Salem happy. But I've met her already, I know she's not the type to congratulate you on a job well done. Salem seems more like a stab you in the back once you're no longer useful kind of gal"

"What're you saying"

"My offer of employment to your boss has been rescinded" Roman answered finishing his drink he stood up and walked toward the door. Adam stood in front of it stopping him.

"You don't get off that easily"

"Keep your pet on a shorter leash" Roman said turning back to Emerald.

"You failed to keep up your end of the deal. You owe us"

"Really now? I seem to remember promising you to get the Dust, crash the train into Vale and get captured aboard Ironwood's ship. Aside from some minor bumps along the way, I held up my end"

"You failed to crash the train if you remember"

"Firstly, neither of us knew that kid could teleport and secondly there was a surplus of Grimm for the initial attack because I failed to crash the train. Technically I helped you out even more than if I had crashed the train" Roman listed off on his fingers.

"You were made too early on. No one was supposed to know you were working with the White Fang"

"I was discovered by that kid and his annoying friends on the dock, yes I admit it. I still stole more than enough Dust for our operation before that point. Slade made you the second he saw you, THE SECOND HE SAW YOU" Roman emphasized flailing his cane around dramatically. Torchwick turned toward the door again.

"You still never answered my question"

"Which question might that be?"

"What changed your mind about working with us?" Roman was silent his grip tightening around his cane. Neo placed her hand on his shoulder comforting him.

"That kid saved my life while I was trying to kill someone he cared about... if that doesn't tell you you're on the wrong side, I don't know what will"

"Slade saved your life?" Emerald asked shocked "Why?"

"Ask the kid"

"He's dead"

"Don't insult my intelligence darling. I know Cinder got her ass handed to her by that kid. There's no way he's dead"

"Cinder killed him before she was hurt by the girl"

"Whatever helps her sleep at night" Roman laughed walking for the exit.

"You're not going anywhere" Adam growled reaching his arm for his blade.

"Move before I even out that other arm for you"

"Taurus, stand down" Mercury called.

"You're just going to let him go? With everything he knows about us?"

"Everything he knows Ozpin already knows now too. He's more trouble than he's worth" Adam scowled as he stepped out of the way allowing them both to pass. Neo looked up at Roman with a worried glance after they exited the building.

"Everything is going to be fine, Neo. I promise I won't let anything happen to you" Neo smiled kissing him on the cheek he chuckled "We should get going, we've got quite the trip ahead of us"

* * *

 **Two weeks later**

Tai sat alone at the table reading the note Ruby sent back.

"What's that?" Yang asked entering the room.

"Letter from your sister, says they're making good progress to Mistral"

"Can I see it?" Yang asked, Tai handed it to her with a sigh.

"Knock yourself out" Yang read over the note quickly she looked back at him with concern.

"This says she was attacked by someone working with Cinder"

"Yeah, it does"

"Qrow got hurt too"

"I know"

"You should go, they sound like they need you-"

"They don't need me, Yang. They need you" Tai shot back looking up at her.

"You know I can't-"

"Can't? Or wont?"

"Dad-" they were interrupted by a knock on their door.

"Who could be visiting us this late?" Tai asked approaching the door, opening it he found Ozpin standing on the other side of it "Oz? What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to speak to your daughter" he explained locking eyes with her over his shoulder "I believe I have put this off long enough"

"Put off? Oz, what're you talking about?"

"May I come in?" he asked leaving his question unanswered.

"O-of course" Tai stepped aside allowing him inside.

"Ms. Xiao Long" he greeted taking a seat across from her.

"Professor" she greeted back cautiously.

"There's no need for concern. I'm only here to talk"

"Would you like some privacy?" Tai asked.

"You may remain if you wish, nothing I have to say is for her ears only" he answered taking a sip from his mug. Tai nodded leaning against the counter he waited patiently for them to continue "I see you also received a letter from Ms. Rose" Ozpin observed looking at the opened envelope on the table.

"Then you know she was attacked by someone working with Cinder"

"That is why I'm here, Ms. Xiao Long. I wish to ask you something"

"What is it you wish to know?"

"I've refrained from interacting with the other students while they acclimatize to the situation we've been thrust into. With the school's repairs almost complete we could begin classes up next month if we so desired. I know you are very close with your sister. I wish to know why you've decided to remain here instead of join her on her journey to Mistral?" Ozpin explained.

"I'm not going to be fighting anymore" she answered with finality. Ozpin waited for her to elaborate, when she didn't he sighed.

"Because of Slade"

"How'd you know?"

"You children all think so alike it's uncanny" Ozpin shook his head.

"What do you mean by that? Who do I think like?" she asked confused.

"Do you know why Ms. Belladonna left?"

"She ran away"

"She did. Just as you are"

"Excuse me?" Yang asked standing from the table slamming her hands down threateningly her eyes flashing red as her aura flared. Tai stood from his position ready to lecture her, Ozpin's hand came up telling him not to, he returned to his former position against the counter.

"Blake ran away because she blamed herself for Slade's death. You've decided not to become a Huntress for the same reason"

"How do you know why Blake left? She ran before anyone could ask-"

"Because I tried to stop her from leaving"

"You what?" Yang asked her eyes returning to their natural lilac.

"Blake told me everything. She was scared you all would be hurt because of her association with the White Fang, and she was correct. Adam Taurus tried to kill you and Slade during the attack but thankfully failed in his endeavor. Because of the injuries Slade sustained in battle against him however, he was unable to defeat Cinder. This resulted in his death. I told her to return to her home and speak to her parents about what has happened before making the decision you have. She believes she is keeping you safe by distancing herself from you. When in fact she is doing the opposite"

"What do you mean?"

"You've decided to stop fighting because you blame yourself for being unable to stop Slade from fighting Cinder to save Pyrrha and Ruby. You shouldn't blame yourself for his actions, he made them on his own"

"But I failed"

"You failed the minute you gave up, Yang. You didn't fail Slade, I know Ruby doesn't think you failed"

"Professor-"

"Do you believe keeping yourself away from your friends will keep them safe?" Ozpin asked causing her to remain silent, Yang looked down at the table dejectedly.

"If I tried helping them I'd only put them in greater danger than before, but if I don't help them I feel like I'm a coward. That's the problem"

"Your problem is not the problem, it is your attitude about the problem that is the problem" Ozpin replied leaning back into his chair.

"Professor?" Yang asked confused.

"Allow me to tell you the same thing I told Slade and Blake. Distancing yourself from those you care about isn't going to keep them safe. They're going to be in danger with or without you, the real question is: Are you going to sit on the sidelines and hope they're strong enough to handle things themselves? Or are you going to stand with them and give them the best chance they can have?" Ozpin asked. Yang stared in shock at his words.

"You told Slade that?" she asked, Ozpin nodded.

"That day he went ballistic on the Beowulf in class, I called him to my office if you recall. He told me he wanted to keep you guys safe, that's why he insisted on doing things himself instead of involving you. He was terrified of losing someone he cared about again. Only after I talked to him did he realize, friends will die, and you may have no way of stopping that from happening. But trying to do everything yourself, or running away isn't going to help them. It's only going to hurt them more"

"That's why he went to save Pyrrha instead of staying with me?" Yang asked.

"Indeed. I know Slade would make that decision a thousand times over if he knew it meant you'd all be safe, he died for that, you know"

"Ruby loved him... how could she ever forgive me-"

"You didn't make him leave, Yang. Slade made that decision himself, Ruby knows that better than anyone. No one forced him"

"But-"

"Yang" Tai spoke diverting their attention to him "Ozpin is right. Ruby forgives you for not being able to stop him, no one blames you for his death but you. Slade would've gone no matter what you said or did" he explained.

"How do you know?" Yang asked.

"Qrow didn't tell you about what happened on the tower that night did he?" Tai asked. Yang shook her head "Of course he didn't" Tai sighed exasperatedly.

"What did happen up there? Besides Slade dying, I already know that part" she asked curiously. Tai approached the table resting his hands on the tabletop.

"Slade went to the top of the tower and fought Cinder telling Ruby to get Pyrrha down as you already know. Ruby handed her off to Weiss then went back up to help Slade only to end up getting in the way more than helping. Slade passed out from blood loss once he sustained multiple injuries. Cinder used the opportunity to attack Ruby only for Slade to block the strike with himself instead of allowing her to be hurt... Slade... was still unconscious when he did that"

"What?" Yang was shocked.

"Even when he was no longer conscious he never stopped protecting Ruby. She really was everything to him" Tai wiped a stray tear from his eye "I wish I could've gotten to know him better"

"You said it yourself, he loved Ruby more than anything, his friends and teammates were the family he never truly had growing up" Ozpin explained placing his hand into Tai's shoulder.

"Didn't have? What about his parents"

"If you knew anything about his parents, you'd know they weren't like you and Qrow are with Yang and Ruby. Their relationship resembled more of Weiss's with her sister Winter"

"I need to go" Yang said standing with a determined look in her eyes.

"Where?" Tai asked.

"Slade sacrificed everything for Ruby... for us. I can't live with myself if I give up now, I need to be out there with Ruby-"

"You don't have your weapons anymore" Ozpin pointed out "How do you plan on helping them once you're out there?"

"I can still fight"

"That won't be necessary, Yang" Tai stood straight from his place over the table

"Dad, I appreciate-"

"That won't be necessary because I already put them back together" he smirked at her lifting a floor board and removing a case with her gauntlets pieced back together again "Figured you would need them again someday" Yang laughed pulling him into a hug.

"Thanks, Dad, Professor. You guys are the best"

"Better hurry if you want to catch up to them. You wouldn't want to miss them" Ozpin winked.

"Bumblebee will get me there in no time" she smirked.

* * *

"The City of Mistral..." Qrow announced as they entered through the tunnels.

"Ugh! It's about time!" Nora groaned as they walked "Whose idea was it to walk again?"

"Professor Ozpin's" Pyrrha answered.

"Well, we did face many obstacles. Broken airships, destroyed settlements-" Ren offered listing on his fingers.

"Oh, and, you know, all those people and monsters that tried to murder us" Jaune added.

"Pfft, we were fine" Ruby looked up at Qrow with a smile "Only one of us almost died"

"Hey" Qrow smiled back. Nora puts her hands on her hips and looks at Ren

"Hey" Ren said looking back at Nora, she giggled in response.

"So, how much farther to Haven Academy?"

"We aren't going to Haven" Qrow answered "Ozpin needs to be notified of our arrival before we make our next move, once he's contacted Lionheart about us we can show up and make everything look real official. We don't want Lionheart suspecting something" he explained.

"Right..." Jaune recalled sheepishly rubbing the nape of his neck.

The group approaches a pair of large, wooden double doors, which Qrow opens, flooding the tunnel with sunlight. Ruby runs out onto a massive platform that doubles as an elevator, stopping at the railing to gaze out over the city in wide-eyed awe.

"Wow!" Ruby stared in amazement. The others join her to take in the view of buildings and stone stairways perched on mountains "This... is... awesome!" she gushed. Below them, large crowds of people are going about their day - walking around, talking and buying merchandise legally and illegally.

"It's certainly something" Qrow agreed.

"Oh my gosh, look at all the weapons!" Ruby gushed pointing toward a weapons stall.

"Vendors here'll sell you just about anything... whether they should or not" Qrow explained.

"They really made the most out of these mountains" Jaune pointed out.

"Every inch. Stay away from the lower levels. The higher up you go, the nicer it gets" Qrow replied leading them away.

"It's true, the lower levels of the city can be quite dangerous" Pyrrha added looking down at the city below them.

"That's right, weren't you here for the regionals?" Ren asked.

"Three years running" she answered back with a bit of pride "Seems like a lifetime ago"

"And we are going up!" Nora yelled excitedly.

Qrow led them around to a large house sitting on a hill away from most of the other houses overlooking the entire city "This is a safehouse I use every time I come here on mission. Lionheart doesn't know about it. I'd like to keep it that way" he explained opening the door with a key he pulled from underneath his jacket.

"Things seem to be going just fine even with your semblance, Uncle Qrow. You shouldn't worry so much. We wouldn't want you keeling over on us, old man" she laughed at his annoyed expression.

"You're just lucky nothing too bad has happened yet, it could've been much worse"

"It almost was" Pyrrha agreed "If we hadn't gotten that airship to pick us up, we never would've gotten here in time to save you from Tyrion's poison"

"Exactly. Next time we need to be more careful. Can't have any of you dying on my watch after all, I have a reputation to keep"

"What's our next step?" Ren asked focusing.

"I'm going to have a look around town, see if I can gather some information. You can get yourselves settled here, once you're done call Ozpin and find out what he wants us to do next, I should be back soon" Qrow answered turning to leave. The group shared a look before shrugging to each other.

"Guess we should pick rooms" Pyrrha suggested.

"Yeah, then Ozpin-" Ruby began before being interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Did Qrow forget something?" Jaune asked as Ren and Nora got ready for a fight. Pyrrha hid behind a nearby wall waiting to see who was behind the door as Ruby approached it.

"Guess we'll find out" she called back opening the door, she was shocked at who she came face to face with "You!" she shouted.

"We need to talk"


	16. Grief

**Chapter fifteen! Seems like only last week I started writing this story, apparently it's been longer... who knew! I hope you like this chapter, I'm sorry to disappoint you but the cliffhanger from last chapter shall not be answered this chapter... or will it? No, it won't be. Anyway thank you all for your unbelievable support.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Fifteen: Grief**

Yang parked Bumblebee outside a bar, voices clamored loudly inside along with boisterous laughter as she entered the building. Many of the men inside the bar stared at her in disbelief as she walked past them toward the bar.

"What can I get for you today?" the bartender asked without looking up from the sink in front of him.

"Water" she answered removing her sunglasses "It's hot" she added answering his unanswered question.

"Glass of water" he pointed toward her as he turned around filling a large glass with water adding ice to it then finished filling it. Many of the men continued to gawk at her around her gaining a sigh from her in response.

"Hey there blondie" one of the men said approaching her confidently.

"Not interested" she replied without turning toward him.

"But I am" he answered getting closer "You've got curves in all the right places, and your hair-" he was cut off reaching for her hair by her fist crashing into his face sending him bouncing off the nearby table and out the front door, her eyes flashing red as she pulled her hand back. Yang's left arm began shaking, she steadied it with her right sighing.

"Thanks, that guy's been harassing our customers all week" the bartender smirked as the rest of the men checking her out turned away in fear.

"Anytime... how much for the water"

"Anything for you is on the house; so long as you keep knocking riffraff like him out"

"Thank you" she smiled lightly chugging the water cup in seconds she placed it back onto the table "May I have another?" she asked.

"Here you are" he replied placing a pitcher of water beside her, ice cubes floating around on the top melting rather quickly.

Yang smiled at his kind nature thinking he reminding her of how her father had treated her while she was still back home.

 _(Flashback)_

Yang walked down the stairs plopping herself down onto the couch and turning on the TV, the news was still talking about the attack on Beacon.

"The perpetrators of the gruesome attack have yet to be located, but we do know that the student being called the "Savior Of Beacon" now has a memorial on the school grounds thanks to the teachers and students all coming together to help build it in honor of his sacrifice-" the reporter was cut off when the TV was turned off by Taiyang standing behind Yang with Zwei jumping onto the couch next to her.

"You know you shouldn't be watching the news after what happened. Nothing interesting is on since the attack, it's all their talking about" he sighed sitting down between her and Zwei, the dog jumping onto his lap getting comfortable.

"Yeah... I know" she somberly sighed shaking her head shutting her eyes.

"You did your best, Yang. You can't fault yourself for that"

"Didn't do Slade any good"

"What happened to Slade wasn't your fault. I'm sorry that he got hurt protecting you, but his decisions aren't your responsibility"

"Ruby loved him you know" Yang looked up at him with a stray tear finding it's way onto her face.

"I know, I'll owe him for the rest of my life for saving her life during the attack" he rested her head onto his shoulder rubbing her back soothingly "I'm sorry you and her have to go through this... losing Summer's already been hard enough on you guys"

"Yeah... first Mom abandoned us and Summer died going on a mission when Ruby was still only a baby, now Slade's dead too. Is everyone I care about destined to leave me?" she asked.

"Of course not Yang, Slade and Summer died as hero's fighting for what they believe in. Your mother on the other hand... she's not like most Huntresses. Unlike the rest of us she was never truly loyal to Ozpin like we are, she didn't take the responsibility of being a Huntress as seriously as you and Ruby do... did" he corrected looking down dejectedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Raven never took being a Huntress as seriously as Summer and I did, Qrow didn't either in the beginning. Summer showed him what being a Huntsmen really meant, and he embraced it whole heartedly... Raven just wanted power, that was always her end goal. She wanted to become stronger. We never knew why... eventually she learned something that scared her more than anything ever had before and she ran. I always assumed she wasn't ready to be a parent and that's why she dumped you on my doorstep and ran, leaving the rest of us to pick up the pieces" he explained.

"What did she learn?"

"Something Ozpin would be better off telling you. It's not something I know a whole lot about, but I know enough to know it's bigger than anything you've faced before... than any of us have"

"Dad?" Yang asked breaking him from his trance.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, after all you won't be fighting anymore anyway, so why worry about what you can't control" he shrugged standing up "Would you like to help me make some breakfast for us?" he asked as she walked toward the kitchen.

"What about Summer?" Yang asked stopping him in his tracks.

"What do you mean?" he asked turning back toward him.

"What mission did Summer go on when she died? What happened to her?" she asked curiously.

"Summer... never told me her mission, only that it was important and Ozpin was the only one who knew about it. I've never been able to convince him to tell me since" he answered, Yang turned away looking out the nearby window concern apparent on her face "You're worried about Ruby" he stated shaking his head as he placed his hands onto his hips.

"Do you blame me? Ruby runs off on a mission with our friends from JNPR and Uncle Qrow only telling us she's going to Mistral and that someone could be hunting her down as we speak. That's pretty concerning to me"

"Why don't you go after her then?" Tai asked raising an eyebrow toward her.

"You know I can't"

"I know you won't" he replied shaking his head once more "One of these days you'll figure out that you can't control what happens to people, sometimes people you care about die and there isn't anything you can do to change that... but you can certainly make a difference"

"If I went with them and they were attacked I would only get in the way-"

"You think Slade sent you away because you would've got in his way? He sent you away with an injured teammate because he was concerned for her safety, not your inability to fight"

"It was my fault!" she yelled her eyes flashing red with tears staining her features once more.

"I know it wasn't"

"How do you know?" she asked with a glare "You weren't there when it happened"

"Because Summer used to do the same thing" he answered with a smirk "One day Raven got injured during a fight with a particularly powerful Grimm, Summer sent me away to help Raven while she and Qrow fought it off buying us time to escape. They were both injured in the process. I blame myself like you are now, until Qrow told me she had been more concerned about Raven's safety than my ability in battle"

"But-"

"If Ruby was hurt tomorrow and you weren't there to help, how would you feel? Would you be glad you weren't there to get in the way?" Tai asked striking a nerve "Something for you to think about" he finished entering the kitchen calling Zwei in behind him, the dog happily obliged.

 _(End Flashback)_

"You were always looking out for me... telling me the things I needed to hear" she whispered barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

"Sounds like a good friend to me" the bartender smirked as she looked up at him realizing her was a Faunus she laughed

"I hear everything" he joked pointing toward his small catlike ears on his head.

"He's my Dad, he helped me out of a bad place recently... I wish I had snapped out of it sooner, but at least I'm here now" she smiled.

"Glad to hear it, would be a shame if a beautiful girl like yourself wasn't always wearing that smile of yours" he chuckled.

"Thank you... have you heard anything about Raven Branwen recently?" Yang asked.

"You don't want to be looking for her, miss. She's nothing but trouble"

"I know, unfortunately I don't have another choice"

"Sorry, wish I could help" he shrugged.

"Thanks anyway" she smiled turning to leave, placing her sunglasses on as she boarded Bumblebee.

"Wait a minute!" called the man she punched before.

"Aren't we done yet?" she asked irritably.

"Did I hear you were looking for Raven Branwen? The bandit chief?" he asked.

"You know her?"

"I know where you can find her" he grinned earning an annoyed sigh from Yang.

"Get on then" she gestured behind her.

* * *

Blake sat on the edge of the railing of the boat sailing for her home of Menagerie, she sighed as she heard Sun approaching her from behind "I should've known you'd follow me out here"

"We did make a pretty great team against that Grimm attacking the boat, c'mon you can't say you haven't missed fighting together like old times" he laughed.

"Old times? We just fought together a week ago, during the attack on Beacon" she shook her head smiling lightly.

"Two weeks ago, technically. Anyway why did you run away? You're friends were back in Vale, not out here in the middle of nowhere" he asked curiously.

"Because I'm tired of seeing my friends hurt because of me"

"This is because of Slade isn't it?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well... he was the only one who died. Ruby was just unconscious and Yang's only injury was to her pride" he listed off.

"I get it" she growled.

"Just saying" he held his hands up in surrender.

"It's my fault he's dead"

"Blake-"

"No! Do you think I don't miss them? Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Nora, Jaune, Ren, Pyrrha... Slade" she listed off adding his name as tears began to fall from her eyes "I loved them more than I thought I could love anyone. But Slade died because of me, I can't put anyone else in danger like that-"

"Slade didn't die because of you"

"How do you know?" she asked angrily.

"Because he chose to come help you and Yang instead of running away. He chose to be a Huntsmen the day he came to Beacon and he inspired the rest of us to fight until the battle was won when no one else did. Slade could barely stand after his fight with Adam, he could've easily have stayed with the medical transport and have been fine. But he knew it was possible that Ruby, Weiss, or Pyrrha could've died fighting Cinder... he made a judgement call to die instead of them. Slade knew the minute he went up there that he wasn't coming back down... you can't blame yourself for him doing what he thought was right" Sun explained pulling Blake into a hug.

"Sounds like your friend is that hero they keep talking about on the news" the captain said from behind them causing them to separate "I don't mean to intrude on your conversation... but anyone who's willing to be die fighting for your safety, deserves the respect of allowing him to die without blaming anyone but the ones behind the attack. Instead of worrying about how you'll place your friends in danger, perhaps you should be more concerned with how you can help them stay safe" he finished tipping his hat toward her "That's my two cents for today" he smirked walking away from the group.

"See? Someone who doesn't even know Slade knows you shouldn't be running away from your problems. I know you said that's always what you do, but maybe that's because running away his harder than staying" Sun offered lifting her chin to look him in the eye.

"I... I think I should do what Ozpin said before anything else"

"That is?"

"Professor Ozpin told me I should speak with my parents about everything that's happened before making a decision on what to do. I'm not sure I can be a Huntress anymore"

"That's just your fear talking, you'll see. I bet your parents will tell you the same thing I'm telling you. The same thing the captain told you"

"Same thin Ozpin told me as well... he said the further I distance myself from my friends, the more pain I cause them"

"Sounds like he knows what he's talking about" Sun smirked.

"Maybe... I... I-I still need to hear what my parents have to say on the matter... I ran away from them too, the longer I wait the worse it'll be for them... and me"

"That sounds like a good idea, your parents will be happy to see that your safe"

"I won't be surprised if they hate me"

* * *

"So... the attack was a complete failure" Salem sighed "Here I thought we had everything planned out, to the smallest detail"

"We did. Somehow they repelled the attack" Hazel answered.

"How?" she asked.

"According to Cinder's team and Adam Taurus. It was a boy named Slade Stroud" Watts answered.

"Stroud? I know that name, the spy who infiltrated our organization six years ago?" Salem asked.

"That's the name, his son is apparently the reason the attack failed"

"He's clearly more powerful than we anticipated" Hazel pointed out.

"Indeed... do we know how he stopped the attack?"

"His semblance was some form of teleportation along with swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat skills of an elite Huntsman. Slade was able to go toe-to-toe with both Adam Taurus and Cinder even after his fight with Roman Torchwick and his associate Neapolitan" Watts answered.

"Interesting... do we know the status of Mr. Torchwick?"

"Roman and his associate escaped the attack after Slade brought down General Ironwood's airship. Mercury and Emerald are going along with Taurus to find him before we move forward" Hazel explained.

"Excellent. Do we know what happened to the boy?"

"According to the news reports I have been hearing he's been reported dead by local authorities. They have yet to locate a body" Watts answered.

"Send the Pursuer to search for him in Vale, if he finds nothing then recall him" Salem ordered.

"It will be done"

"Speaking of pursuers. What is the status on-" Salem stopped when she heard the door open to find Tyrion cowering into the room with his scorpion tale missing.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me" he pleaded lowering onto his knees across the table from her.

"What happened?"

 _(Flashback)_

Tyrion watched as Qrow led the group into a destroyed town, looking it over quickly they found there were no survivors.

"How can there be nothing left? Not a single body" Pyrrha asked.

"It's creepy" Ruby agreed.

"I'm going to go on ahead and see if I can find any trace of what happened to them. You all stay here and get some rest" Qrow ordered turning to walk away.

"Stay safe, Qrow" Ren called after him.

"I always do"

Tyrion smiled as he watched Qrow leave the area "Looks like it's time to introduce myself"

"How far are we from Mistral now?" Jaune asked sitting down.

"Not too far. We shouldn't be more than a few days out" Pyrrha answered, suddenly Ren's hand came up silencing them as he stood and listened. Before long he equipped his weapons, the others following suit. Tyrion leapt overhead of them his wrist blades showing clearly as he charged for Ruby. Ren stood between them blocking his blade and firing his weapon causing Tyrion to lean back away from it. Laughing wildly as he ducked under Ren's kick for his head he struck for his chest barely managing to defend himself, Ren leaned back as far as he could holding his ground, then Tyrion used his opposite hand to through Ren backward with the force of his attack.

Charging for Ruby he attacked furiously as she struggled to block his attacks with Crescent Rose, she spun it expertly as she defended herself only to be stuck in the chest with one of his blades causing her to stumble. Tyrion charged forward leaping only to meet Jaune's shield he stared at him with crazed interest then leapt back onto Nora's hammer balancing himself on the weapon as she swung for him. Pyrrha forced him of the hammer when she threw her shield at him, Tyrion jumped back smashing into a nearby tower. The dust cleared to show he was perfectly fine balancing himself with each leg on one of the tower walls.

"We're not looking for a fight!" Jaune yelled up to him.

"Who are you?" Ren asked.

Tyrion dropped from the tower landing easily then laughed "Who I am matters not to you" he answered pointing to Ren "Or you, or you" he continued pointing toward Nora and Pyrrha "Or..." he stopped as he pointed at Jaune "Well... you do interest me"

Jaune was shocked and confused by his words "What is that supposed to mean?" Pyrrha asked stepping protectively between them.

"No, I only matter... to you" he pointed at Ruby not answering her question.

"Me?" Ruby asked. Tyrion laughed placing his hands on his knees to steady himself.

"You haven't the slightest clue do you? How exciting this must be!" he continued laughing.

"What do you want?" Ruby asked threateningly. Tyrion acted shocked.

"The rose has thorns! My little flower I'm here to whisk you away with me"

"Well what if she doesn't want to go with you?" Nora asked matching Ruby's tone stepping between them.

Tyrion stared dumbfounded "Well... I'll take her"

"We're not going to let you do that" Jaune stepped in front of Nora.

Tyrion sucked in a large breath "Good" he grinned evilly before vanishing reappearing behind Jaune at incredible speed.

"Jaune!" Ren yelled firing at his shield deflecting the bullets at Tyrion. Tyrion placed his hand onto his shield balancing himself on it as he deflected Ren's bullets back at him, Ruby came up behind him only to be kicked away as he hopped off the shield. Ruby slid to a stop her scythe scrapping through the ground. Jaune swung his blade for his face, Tyrion bent back under it then twisted on his hand kicking Jaune in the knee then the face throwing him backward. Pyrrha attacked him with her blade thrusting for his chest, as he sidestepped he kicked for her back. Pyrrha used her semblance to force him to miss, turning she bashed her shield into his chest making him slide back several inches before he countered with a powerful kick to her face throwing her onto her back.

Tyrion charged for Nora only for her to be knocked over by Ruby's lightning bolt from Crescent Rose. Tyrion stared incredulously then began laughing hysterically "Well if that isn't ironic" he turned around to see them all smiling at him, confusing Tyrion. Nora suddenly appeared beside him striking her hammer down with a powerful shockwave ripping through the air as it made contact with Tyrion's tail defending him, he laughed at her reaction "Surprise!" Tyrion kicked her in the chest before flipping backward out of his jacked landing on a nearby building.

"He's a Faunus" Ren stated surprised.

"What is this about? The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?" she asked.

"Plastic soldiers and pawns. My heart and body belongs only to our goddess" he answered.

"Cinder" Ruby growled.

"Only in her wildest dreams!" Tyrion yelled leaping down between them. With his tail and wrist blades he was easily able to deflect any attacks sent his way by the four of them while he attacked Ruby aggressively, throwing he through the air he appeared in front of her kicking her in the abdomen she was sent flying back onto the ground. Ren and Nora were on their knees struggling to get up while Jaune ran to Ruby's side as Tyrion prepared to attack her. Tyrion's eyes flashed from their natural gold to a poisonous purple as his tail prepared to strike.

"Ruby!" Jaune called worriedly as Pyrrha's shield soared over his shoulder, the shield blocked the strike barely in time as Pyrrha rushed past him catching it and placing herself between Ruby and Tyrion defensively. Tyrion chuckled as his tail retracted.

"You're beginning to get on my nerves little girl. You should just accept the fact that you will always lose to those who serve our goddess"

"Your attack on Beacon failed, this plan will fail too" she shot back.

"Wake up darling... the attack on Beacon failed because of a boy who's now dead. What hope do you have against me? You couldn't even defeat someone as week as Cinder" he laughed.

"Slade was able to handle her just fine when she was injured, someone like you would've been a walk in the park" she taunted earning a glare from him.

"Is that so?" he asked just before charging Pyrrha, he was easily able to disarm her using his tail to constrict around her arm forcing her to release her hold on her blade then kicked her shield from her hands ready to strike for her face. Ruby jumped between them as his tail thrust toward her only to meet the back of Harbinger with Qrow standing between the three of them.

Tyrion's tail returned to him as he leapt away from them "As I live and breathe, Qrow Branwen. A true Huntsman has entered the fray" he bowed excitedly. Qrow stared at Ruby with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"I don't know this guys weird" she shrugged.

"Look, buddy. I don't know who you are, but you need to leave my niece alone"

"Why my name is Tyrion. I'm afraid that is not possible. My assignment from her grace is to retrieve this young girl, so that is what I must do. One does not upset the queen"

"Queen?" Ruby asked confused.

"Salem" Qrow spat darkly.

"Who?" she asked equally confused.

"Cinder's boss, the one Ozpin told us about before we left" Qrow answered.

"I think we've had enough talk now don't you?" Tyrion asked getting into a battle position.

 _(End Flashback)_

"Qrow was too strong for me to get a definitive hit on him on my own, Ruby cut off my tail when I finally got him... I couldn't handle them all on my own your grace. Please accept my sincerest apologies

Salem sighed "I'm so disappointed Tyrion" she said easily driving him to tears.

"I'm so sorry! Please allow me to make it up to you-"

"Later... I have more pressing matters to attend to" Salem ordered sending him away "Arthur, once you have released the Pursuer; help Tyrion with his new tail" she ordered.

"I shall see to it"

"Hazel, I want you scouring the countryside. Start spreading rumors of Cinder's death. We don't want Ozpin expecting her to return anytime soon"

"You think he'd attack us here to reclaim the maiden powers?" he asked.

"I don't wish to offer him the chance. Go"

"As you say"

* * *

Weiss sat patiently on her bed for Klein to show up allowing her to escape. Her door finally opened Klein's face poking in with a smile.

"Come along, quickly. We don't have much time before your father realizes he's locked in his office with the General" he explained gesturing for her to move faster. Weiss followed behind him as quickly as possible as they passed by his office they could here the argument through the wall.

"THESE REPORTS ARE COMING FROM YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"A DAUGHTER YOU STOLE!"

"We're not having this conversation again" he sighed "If Winter says there is a threat in Mistral then I believe her, she has been there for nearly three weeks already. I don't trust Leo to handle it"

"You don't trust anyone but yourself!"

"With good reason!" Ironwood yelled slamming his metal hand onto the desk "Ozpin is the only one I trusted enough to handle things properly and so far the only one who saw things for what they were is dead now... may his souls rest in piece" his expression turned dark as he continued.

"Yes, yes, the boy who saved Beacon and now has a memorial in the courtyard. We all know about his "heroic" sacrifice" Jacques sighed annoyed "If he was as strong as they say he was then why isn't he here now? Solving the problem in Mistral for us" he asked.

"Watch your tongue! That boy deserves the respect you clearly only have for yourself. I can see why your daughters wanted nothing to do with you"

"How dare you-!"

"No, how dare you! You think you can control everyone because your wealthy. You still haven't figured out that money isn't everything to some people. There are more important things in life than how large a house you can afford"

"They seem to be enjoying themselves" Klein joked as they quietly entered the library.

"They're talking about Slade" she wiped a tear from her eyes as she followed behind him.

"I know, darling... I'm sorry you have to go something like that at your age. Losing a friend is never easy, I felt the same way after your mother left" he sighed.

"How much farther?" she asked trying to change the subject "Just through here" he answered opening the bookcase to a secret passage.

"Thank you, Klein"

"Where do you plan on going?"

"Yang told me Ruby's heading to Mistral with our friends on a mission. I need to get there so I can help" she answered.

"Good luck to you, child. Please stay safe"

"KLEIN!" Jacques voice could be heard "GET OVER HERE AND UNLOCK THIS DOOR!" he yelled.

"Go now!" Klein urged her into the passage closing the door behind her.

"Take care of yourself, Klein" she smiled at him as it closed she walked through the passage exiting the estate "Stay where you are, Ruby. I'm coming" she whispered to herself.

* * *

The air was filled with dread, looking down a small young girl with fair skin, deep red hair and silver eyes watched with tears in her eyes. Looking further down a blade could be seen piercing through, blood coating it thoroughly.

"Ruby!" a deep voice called shaking the surroundings away.

A dark figure sat on the tree branch of a large tree looking out into the open field the figure could see a town completely demolished by Grimm still roaming the streets.

"That dream again" the figure sighed shaking his head.

Something crunched to the figure's left, swinging down with a pistol drawn the figure hung upside-down aiming at a squirrel eating a nut on the branch under him. The figure laughed from beneath his masked hood. Leaping down from the tree the figure approached the town with the pistol in one hand and his fist closed ready to fight.

"Let's see what you've got" the figure said as the Grimm spotted him in the open field he raised his sunglasses over his scared left eye.

* * *

Qrow sat in a bar drinking each glass as it was filled, he sighed shaking his head "Why'd you have to leave so soon, kid?" he asked aloud thinking about Slade.

"Everything alright, sir? You've had quite a few drinks" the bartender asked concerned.

"No... everything isn't okay" he answered placing Lien on the bar and standing up he drunkenly walked outside leaning against the wall sighing once more.

 _(Flashback)_

Qrow watched as the group slept soundly around him, he continued to keep watch over them ensuring nothing would sneak up on them. Pyrrha slept soundly with her head resting on Jaune's shoulder.

"They've certainly gotten closer since the attack" he smiled whispering to himself, looking over at Nora and Ren they both rested in the arms of the other smiling in their sleep.

"Those two still don't realize they have feelings for each other... or won't admit it" he sighed shaking his head. Looking up he saw Ruby sitting at the edge of camp looking out into the small pond. Qrow stood up and approached her hearing her sobs from several feet away.

"Hey" he said surprising her.

"Uncle Qrow? I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep-"

"I know, kiddo" he sat down beside her allowing her to rest her head on his lap. Qrow lightly stroked her hair soothingly "You want to talk about it"

"I don't know... it's just a dream" she answered fighting back more tears at the thought.

"Sounds like more than that"

Ruby remained silent as his hand moved to her back "It was about Slade" she finally spoke.

"I figured" he sighed "What exactly was it about?"

"We were back on the tower at Beacon. Cinder's blade was through him again" she explained no longer able to fight the tears.

"The night he died" he finished for her not needing to know more "I'm sorry, kiddo. Slade didn't deserve what happened to him, whether he made the decision knowing it would happen or not"

"Slade knew he was gonna die the minute he went onto that tower. The thing I don't get is how he could've been smiling about it... a blade was piercing his chest and was still smiling"

"He knew his death meant you would be safe... we should all be so lucky"

"Lucky?" she asked confused.

"Slade may have died, Ruby. But he chose how he got to die, most of us end up going of old age or from screwing up on a mission. Huntsmen rarely get to die for something important like he did"

"Like Mom?" she asked, Qrow sighed.

"No one but Ozpin knows what happened to Summer, the only thing he would tell me is he's absolutely sure she's dead"

"How does he know? We never got a body to bury"

"I don't know... but he was certain. I didn't doubt that he was telling the truth"

"Slade died just like Mom did. There wasn't a body left to bury... what do you think happened to his body?" she asked.

"I don't know, kid. Slade was thrown from the tower, we checked everywhere he could've ended up and found nothing. Not even any blood"

"Really? You found nothing at all?"

"Almost as if he was never there" he answered.

"What's Ozpin's theory?"

"Oz thinks Cinder's powers are able to incinerate her victims leaving nothing behind. He thinks Slade's body never hit the ground because there was nothing left of him to fall that far. Some of the camera's at the school catch him falling from the tower, then nothing"

Ruby sat up wiping her tears away "Thanks for the talk, Uncle Qrow. I should head back to sleep"

"Anytime... sleep well"

"I'll try" she sighed standing and walking to her bedroll. Once she was far enough away he slammed his fist into the ground angrily, Qrow felt helpless when it came to Ruby, he wasn't able to help her grieve so what could he do? he wondered.

 _(End Flashback)_

"I'm sorry, pipsqueak. I wish I could do more for you" he sighed drinking from his flask as he stepped off the wall he was leaning against. Walking down the street toward the safehouse he stopped when he heard something behind him. Turning around he found one of Raven's portals open behind him.

"Raven?" he asked confused, then he heard Bumblebee's engine roaring through the portal "Oh..."

* * *

 **That's the end of the chapter guys! Hope you all liked it, next chapter will be out soon! I promise!**


	17. Spark Of Hope

**Chapter Sixteen, hope you guys are all excited to finally know who was behind that door! Some of you may have figured it out already, but for those of you that didn't, it'll be a surprise! Anyway here you all are, enjoy your reading.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen: Spark Of Hope**

Yang enters the camp, escorted by a few bruised bandits who she had roughed up earlier. She notices more bandits lining up along the path, giving angry glares at her. Vernal steps out of her tent to see what the commotion is about. Arriving at the main tent, Raven emerges from it removing her mask.

"Mom" Yang greets no emotion in her voice.

"Yang, so after all this time you finally decide to visit me"

"You know that I searched for you. I spent years looking for you" Yang replied struggling to keep her anger hidden.

"And you've found me. You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dream a reality. Well done, Yang. But did you have to be so rough with my men?"

"I didn't want a fight. They started it"

"Well, you certainly finished it" a silence overtook the camp everyone waiting for Raven or Yang to say something, Raven sighed finally.

"Right. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming. But I must admit that you've proven yourself. So any questions you have I'll be happy to answer. You can stay with us tonight. I'll even have the cooks whip up something for you-"

"That's not why I'm here" Yang interrupted her hands closing into fists.

"What was that?" Raven asked scowling.

"I'm not here for you. Ruby is on her way to Mistral and she's with Qrow. You're going to help me find them"

"Why would I do that?" Raven asked raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Because we're family"

Raven scowled once more "Family... only coming around when they need something. I have to say, I'm disappointed. After all, you found me, didn't you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister if she means that much to you?" she asked.

"Because you're going to save me time. Ruby was heading to Mistral, but there's no guarantee she's made it there. Looking for her in Anima could take ages. But… Dad told me how your Semblance works"

"Tai..." Raven said under her breath in annoyance.

"You can bond to certain people. And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for Dad. One for me. And you've got one for Qrow. He promised me he'd watch out for Ruby before he left. And I trust him. So, make a portal to my uncle and sister, and I'll be on my way"

"You know, it takes real strength to march in here and demand such a favor of me. I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's very noble to want to help out your sister. But if she's with Qrow, then she's already a lost cause"

"What does that mean?"

"You don't want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang. Ozpin is not the man you think he is. And Qrow is a fool for trusting him. I would know, I trusted him once, too"

"I don't care what you think" Yang growled.

"Your choice is your own. All I'm suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, that maybe you take a moment to wonder if you're already where you belong"

"Save your breath. You can spout off whatever you want, but nothing is going to keep me from my sister"

"Well, aren't you stubborn"

"I get it from my mom"

"Well, if that's how you feel, then it sounds like we're done here. Take her away"

The bandits surround and begin to move in on Yang. Yang sees this, before turning her head back to Raven.

"Did you not hear me?" Raven turns back around before she can enter her tent "I said send me to Qrow, damn it!" her eyes turn red as she shouts her statement

"That's enough! You watch your mouth in front of our leader!" yelled one of the bandits.

"Make me" he tries to attack Yang, Yang punches the Bandit into a tent, revealing Weiss in her cage **.**

"Yang?" Weiss gasped in shock.

"Weiss?" Everyone else present is surprised that the two girls know each other.

"Alright, well, subtlety is out" Weiss laughed under her breath. Weiss turns to her miniature Arma-Gigas and makes it grow, destroying the cage in the process. She quickly makes her way towards Yang, with the now giant Arma-Gigas following close behind.

"What is that?" Yang asked surprised.

"Don't worry about it. What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's my mom and she can take us to Ruby" Yang answered gesturing to Raven.

"Ugh" Raven placed her hand on her forehead in disappointment.

"Your mom kidnapped me?!" Weiss shouted incredulously.

"You kidnapped her?!" Yang yelled at Raven. Yang, Weiss and Weiss' summon turn and run to fight the bandits, but a lightning bolt appears, stopping the fight before it starts.

"Enough!" Vernal's voice echoed.

"Thank you" Raven sighed "If you all keep it up the Grimm will be upon us in no time. We don't want him to be released before his execution" Raven lectured her men.

"Execution?" Yang asked looking to Weiss.

"You let him go, right now!" Weiss shouted.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, he's far too dangerous to keep alive. Especially if he wants me dead"

"Whoever it is you have captured, I'm telling you to release him!" Yang yelled "Who does she have?" she whispered to Weiss.

"Even if I could he's being executed right now, I won't be able to stop that" Raven answered gesturing to a stone tower in shambles just outside her camp. There was a large wooden plank extended from the highest point of the tower with four men standing on it, one of them with restraints around his hands keeping him from escaping and a hood covering his face. The man behind him had a noose tied in his hands as he reached to remove the prisoner's hood, The prisoner was staring in Raven's direction after the lightning bolt had struck.

"Who is that?" Yang asked. The instant his hood came down the prisoner twisted around grabbing the noose and wrapping it around his jailors neck he dropped off the side of the tower hanging by the rope choking the man. One of the bandits used his blade to cut the rope saving him and allowing the prisoner to escape.

"What the hell is going on over there!?" Raven yelled into a radio she removed from her pocket.

"He's escaped!" came their reply.

"Couldn't stop his execution, huh?" Yang asked gesturing to her radio.

The prisoner smashed his fist through the wooden fence surrounding the camp, breaking a small hole for him to fit through, he rolled over the shoulder of the bandit charging him kicking the second close behind him in the face as he came around knocking them both out of his way. One large bandit approached him as he smashed another's head into a cooking pot from behind. The large bandit picked him up with his right arm holding him by his waist suspending him in the air with a grin.

"Gotcha now, punk!" he yelled. The prisoner looked down at the bandit's belt.

"Hey!" he grabbed the sidearm from his holster "My pistol!" he yelled smacking the back of it into his nose causing him to drop the prisoner and hold his face in pain "Your massive hands couldn't use this anyway" he smirked under his mask running forward he pointed the pistol at Raven as she drew her sword, Yang stepped between them with a shocked expression across her features. The prisoner slid to a stop never dropping his aim from Raven's direction.

"Get out of the way, kid. I don't want to hurt you"

"Slade?" Yang asked looking at him in shock. He wore a confused expression lowering his pistol slightly.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

"Slade! It's us! Yang and Weiss" Weiss shouted tears in her eyes. Slade's eyebrow raised in confusion.

"I have no idea who you people are" he placed his pistol into it's rightful place under his coat as he lowered his sunglasses.

"How are you here right now? You were dead!" Yang shouted.

"I take it you know him" Raven sighed sheathing her blade "Why is it you're friends with all of my prisoners?" she asked annoyed.

"I think I would remember dying. I have no idea who either of you are" Slade removed his mask "You must have me mistaken for someone else"

"How do you not remember us?" Weiss asked "We were on team RWBY together at Beacon. You save the school when it was attacked!"

"Whoever you are, you clearly didn't leave a strong impression on me. I don't forget people very often, and I can guarantee you I never saved any school called Beacon"

"Where did you get that scar on your eye then?" Yang asked pointing to his left eye.

"I woke up with it two weeks ago. I assumed I got into a fight with something pretty tough and took a pretty bad hit, since I don't remember it"

"No... you got that scar fighting Cinder"

"Cinder? Cinder Fall?"

"Yes"

"Not possible, she and I only fought once and she never laid a finger on me"

"You were injured pretty badly when you began fighting"

"How exactly do I know you're telling the truth?" Slade asked crossing his arms. Yang removed her scroll from her pocket and pulled up a picture of them at the dance at Beacon.

"Good enough?" she asked as he took the device from her hands. Slade stared at the picture trying desperately to remember that day.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you guys. But I'm willing to believe you"

"But?" Weiss asked seeing where this was going.

"I have one question for you"

"Ask away"

"Where is Obsidian?" he asked.

"Cinder shattered it during your battle. Ozpin retrieved the pieces and placed them in a case that he gave to my little sister" Yang explained.

"Ozpin? The headmaster of Beacon?"

"Yes... your adoptive father too" Weiss answered.

"Now you're telling me someone adopted me, c'mon now"

"It's the truth" Yang insisted.

"What's your sister's name?"

"Ruby Rose" she answered, a look of recognition crossed over his features. Slade remembered seeing a girl with a mortified expression on her face as he held a blade piercing through his chest. Slade shook the memory gasping for breath.

"Slade? Are you okay?" Weiss asked.

"I know that name from somewhere... I know it's the girl I keep seeing in my dreams"

"What dreams?"

"I'm on a shattered tower, a young girl stares up at me in mortification while I have a blade piercing my chest. I remember someone calling her name "Ruby" I don't recognize the voice"

"That voice is probably my Uncle Qrow. That dream your talking about actually happened. You saved my sister from Cinder atop Beacon Tower" Yang explained.

"That would explain the injuries I awakened with"

"How did you survive those injuries? You had so many of them?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know, my aura was depleted when I awoke and the wounds were practically healed by then. Must've just gotten lucky"

"Sounds a lot more than luck to me. Your aura must be particularly powerful or plentiful to have healed you from fatal wounds like you were reported to have" Raven pointed out.

"Why are you here with Raven?" Slade asked glaring up at her.

"I'm trying to get my mother to take us to her with her semblance" Yang explained gesturing to Raven.

"Raven Branwen is your mother?" he asked with a slight scowl.

"Unfortunately" Yang answered.

"Tough break, guess my parents weren't the best either but... Raven's kind of a bitch" Weiss giggled at his simple answer.

"I'm right here" Raven reminded with a glare.

"You wouldn't be had your daughter not stopped me" he shot back.

"Didn't you get captured by her?" Yang asked with a smirk.

"Only because I threatened to kill Weiss if he didn't surrender" Raven answered "Slade took down fifteen of my men before I was even able to draw my blade"

"That's not surprising" Yang shook her head with a laugh.

"Only a coward hides behind a hostage" Slade said gaining a sigh from Raven.

"Enough with the meet and greets. Vernal, give Ms. Schnee back her weapon" Vernal was shocked but listened nonetheless.

"Thank you" Weiss replied catching her weapon.

"Hurry up and follow before I change my mind about helping you" Raven said mostly to Slade as she entered her tent. Following behind her, Yang and Weiss sat down across from Raven while Slade stood not trusting her. Vernal poured them each a cup of tea then exited the tent.

"So, what's the "truth?" Yang asked.

Raven took a sip from her cup "You know, it's better when it's hot"

"You know, you're really obnoxious" Weiss remarked narrowing her eyes.

"She's right" Slade said drinking from his own cup "You shouldn't let it get cold" Raven chuckled at his relaxed nature.

"The truth is that "truth" is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories"

"Well, he's never given me a reason to doubt him before"

"That doesn't mean those reasons don't exist" Yang glared at her.

"Spare us your opinions when explaining further. I really could care less about what you think about the world. I would rather know the truth and not "your truth"

"You know, you and your teammates might as well be the poster children for the Huntsman academies. Your motives vary, but you all enrolled to try and make the world a better place. It's adorable"

"It's what Huntsmen and Huntresses do"

"Not all of them" Raven replied.

"Anyone worthy of the title does it to make the world a better place. Even if it doesn't always seem like it" Slade replied thinking back on his father.

"Perhaps... but some people are just in it for the money and the fame, but there's even more that are just looking to grow stronger. Your Uncle Qrow and I didn't attend Beacon to become Huntsmen, we did it to learn how to kill Huntsmen" Yang and Weiss gasp at this, exchanging a brief look with each other.

"Daddy and Uncle left that part out, hmm?" Raven poured more tea for herself "Aside from the Grimm, Huntsmen were the only ones capable of ruining our raids and hunting us down. Our tribe needed a counterforce, and Qrow and I were the perfect age. The entrance exams were child's play compared to what we'd already been through. We were good. So good, that we caught the attention of Beacon's very own headmaster, Professor Ozpin. Even after we were put on a team, I could tell he was keeping his eye on us. Back then, I thought it was because he knew, but it was Team STRQ he was interested in"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Constant attention, extra training missions, turning a blind eye whenever we happened to break the rules and get into more trouble than we should've. Sound familiar?" Yang and Weiss share another glance at each other. Weiss gestures Yang to keep going.

"What's your point?"

"How much do you know about Professor Ozpin? About his past?"

"He was… a prodigy. One of the youngest headmasters to be appointed to a school"

"Because that's how he planned it. Because the man you know as Ozpin designed those schools and has followers inside every academy on Remnant that are loyal to him and no one else"

"That doesn't make any sense! How could he have...? No. Why would someone even do that?"

"Because old man Oz has a great and terrible secret. One that could spread fear across the world. One that he eventually entrusted to our team, and once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more, but with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became"

"Okay, then tell us. What's the big secret? What's so crazy that the rest of us don't know?"

"The Creatures of Grimm… have a master named Salem. She can't be stopped, she can't be reasoned with, and she will not rest until humanity crumbles at her feet"

As she speaks, Weiss and Yang's eyes widen more and more. They sit in silence. Slade's eyes narrowed as she spoke "What?" Weiss gasped in shock.

"You know, you two haven't even touched your tea" Raven takes another sip from her teacup, while Yang stands up.

"Why should we believe any of this?"

"Now you're catching on. So far you've done nothing but accept what others tell you, but you need to question everything" The two stare at each other face to face, before Raven turns around.

"Otherwise you'll end up just as blind as Qrow..." Yang grits her teeth, and her eyes narrow, seething "...and your fool of a father"

A shot from Ember Celica is heard, destroying the table. Raven's empty teacup clatters across the floor, stopping when it hits the heel of her boot. Raven looks toward Yang, faintly smiling. Yang's eyes have turned red.

"Don't you dare talk about my family like that!" While Yang speaks, Weiss stares up at her wide-eyed and flinches when she raises her voice for emphasis. A weapon is heard being drawn at Yang.

"You need to calm down" Vernal demanded. Slade stepped between the two of them taking another sip of his tea.

"As much as I would love to hash it out with these folks. I don't think we're gonna find your sister this way"

"Yang, please" Weiss pleaded holding Yang's hand.

"Listen to your friends, Yang. Your teammates never let you down before"

"You don't know the first thing about my teammates! About me! You were never there! You LEFT US!" her eyes then turn back to normal "Why?!" she hangs her head in sadness.

"I know more than you realize. Not just about you, and not just what I've been told, but things I've seen with my own eyes. I know the Grimm have a leader, I know people who can come back from the dead, I know that magic is real, and I can prove it"

"You said Tai told you all about my Semblance" Raven said walking to the back exit of the tent. Vernal finally lowered her weapon.

"Well, I doubt he ever told you what Oz did to my brother and me" she added exiting the tent. Yang and Weiss exchanged confused glances.

"Go see for yourself"

Vernal leaves. Yang, Slade and Weiss take her advice and exit the tent. They see no one there.

"Mom?" Yang called.

"Yang, are you okay?" Weiss asks worriedly.

 **"** I'll be fine once we can get her to take us to Ruby" Weiss relents while Yang continues to look around

"It's okay if... you're not okay"

"You didn't believe what she said, right?"

"I… of course not. Well, not all of it. It was crazy. We have Dust, Semblances... But, I mean, there's no such thing as magic" Just then, the two hear a bird caw. They watch it fly in front of them.

"A raven?" Weiss asked.

"I've… seen that bird before"

"Maybe it belongs to your mom?"

"That is your mom" Slade said taking another sip of tea "This is very good, tea" he mused as they stared incredulously at him. The two continue to watch the raven fly in the dusk-colored sky. It descends, flying and weaving between the trees, before shapeshifting into Raven herself. Raven lands back on the ground on her feet, while Yang and Weiss have shocked expressions as she stands back up.

"Told ya" Slade smirked.

"How… did you do that?"

"Well, I could explain it to you…" Raven then draws her sword, slashing behind her, creating a portal with her Semblance "or you could ask your uncle"

"You're letting us go?"

"I'm giving you a choice" Raven sheathed her blade "Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start" Yang glares at her "Or…" she steps to the side of her portal "you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone that's kept so much from you?" Weiss reacts timidly, while Yang just glares at her mother.

"Easy choice" Slade replied placing the cup down on the steps to the tent "Thank you for your... unique hospitality" Slade added toward Raven.

"All I care about is making sure my sister is safe" Yang agreed.

dissatisfied with Yang's response "Ugh" Yang gets aboard Bumblebee taking it to the portal, Weiss gets on with her. Raven addresses her one last time.

"Yang. If you side with your uncle, I may not be as kind the next time we meet" Weiss and Slade rolled their eyes.

"You weren't kind this time either"

Yang and Weiss proceed through the portal on Bumblebee shortly followed by Slade. The portal then disappears.

"I know"

* * *

"What're you doing here?!" Ruby asked equipping Crescent Rose, JNPR does the same with their weapons.

"I told you. I'm here because we need to talk... Little Red" Roman answered with a wink, his hands raised in surrender "Relax...I promise I'm not here to hurt you or your friends" he held his cane out for her to take "See? You can hold on to my weapon until we're done" Neo walked in beside him holding her umbrella out to Ruby as well. Ruby took them both reluctantly and tossed them to the back of the room away from them pointing Crescent Rose at them once more.

"May I come in?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

"Why should we let you? How do we know you're not going to attack us the minute we turn our backs?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know if you've figured this out about me yet, but if I really was here to hurt you. I'd have already done it, not surrender my only form of protection"

"Couch... now" Ruby demanded stepping back. Roman and Neo entered still holding their hands up and sat down on the couch.

"Happy?" Roman asked.

"What do you want?" she practically growled.

"I'm here to talk"

"You've said that already. What do you want to talk about?" Pyrrha clarified.

"I left Cinder's employment. I will no longer be assisting them or the White Fang"

"Why should we care? That doesn't really help us or you" Ren asked.

"Doesn't it though? If I was helping them you'd already be dead with how easy it was for me to track you down. Then there is also the fact that I have now pissed off Cinder's boss and she doesn't take kindly to people leaving her service. The only people who get to leave are the ones that died first. I don't plan on joining that group"

"You're just here to save your own skin!" Nora yelled accusingly.

"If that was truly the case I would still be with Cinder. No... I'm here because I want you to promise me something"

"Why should we help you? What have you ever done for us?"

"I know you're upset-"

"Upset! UPSET! Slade is dead because of you!" Ruby yelled tears streaming down from her eyes. Nora pulled her into a hug comforting her. Torchwick just began laughing surprising everyone in the room.

"C'mon, I know I don't seem like the smart type but I know he's not dead"

"Excuse me?" Ruby asked getting angry.

"Slade was too strong, he kicked the crap out of Cinder and Taurus. I figure you're trying to keep his survival a secret so you can surprise Cinder when the time comes but I'm not buying it"

"Slade. Died." Ruby seethed.

Roman's cocky smile remained for several seconds before shifting to one of shock "Shit... I just screwed the pooch pretty badly" he sighed.

"Ya think?" Jaune asked.

"What is it you came here to ask for in the first place?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"I was going to offer you my services free of charge to help you guys against Cinder for as long as I can on one condition"

"Let me guess, you want us to make sure you don't go to prison afterwards?" Jaune asked annoyed.

"No... I just want you all to promise you'll protect Neo if anything happens to me" Everyone in the room was shocked including Neo. She placed her hand onto his with a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry, Neo. I'm a survivor, I just want to make sure your safe" he kissed the top of her head making her blush from embarrassment.

"You want us to keep her safe?" Ruby asked "Why? That doesn't make sense-"

"There is three things I care about in this world. Money, myself, and Neo. If I were to die tomorrow, the only thing that would still matter is her. That's why"

"You love her don't you" Nora asked understanding, Roman nodded.

"More than anything"

"Why don't I go make us some tea" Ren offered walking into the kitchen.

"I'll help" Pyrrha followed behind him awkwardly.

"You really want to help us?" Ruby asked sitting in the seat next to him.

"No. I wanted to help Slade, seeing as he is gone. I suppose I can do the next best thing and keep you guys from getting yourselves killed"

"Hey! Guess who I found!" Qrow called drunkenly entering the house.

"Can't be worse than who we-" Ruby dropped Crescent Rose when she saw Yang and Weiss standing in front of her. Ruby ran hugging Yang with tears in her eyes once more.

"I love you, sis" Yang smiled embracing her into the hug.

"I love you too" Ruby said back smiling. Releasing her from the hug she grabbed Weiss into one as well "I'm so glad to see you"

"I'm glad to know you're safe. I thought you'd have gotten yourself killed on your own" Weiss joked.

"Well isn't this nice" Roman chuckled "Blondie and Ice Queen decided to stop by"

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Yang asked stepping in front of Ruby protectively.

"Helping!" Roman yelled with mock enthusiasm throwing his hands into the air.

"You're working with Torchwick!" Weiss yelled.

"That has yet to be decided" Jaune answered.

"Nothing you guys are talking about matters! I found something better!" Qrow yelled walking drunkenly to the couch and plopping down on it causing Roman and Neo to get up quickly to avoid him, Qrow laid across the couch.

"He's right... we found someone you're all going to want to see" Yang smiled to the group.

"Wait for it" Qrow said holding his finger up. Slade entered the room cautiously, watching the group's reaction of shock spreading through their features. Qrow chuckled loudly "I did it!" he yelled throwing his fists into the air then face planting the ground causing Nora to squeak in surprise.

"Slade?" Pyrrha asked her eyes bulging out of her skull.

"That's my name" Ruby slowly approached him without saying a word "Hey" Slade waved lightly. Ruby grabbed him into a hug as tears streamed down her face silently sobbing into his chest.

"I thought you were dead" she whispered.

"So I have been told" he held his arms out awkwardly unsure how to react.

"Ruby, there is something you need to know about him" Yang said gently pulling on her shoulder causing her to unwrap herself from Slade.

"What is it?"

"Slade... he doesn't remember Beacon"

"Slade... what?" she asked confused.

"I don't remember anything after arriving on Patch about a year ago. There's a lot of blank space in my memory between then and two weeks ago when I woke up"

"You're joking" Ren sighed.

"Wish I was... the only person in this room I remember is her" Slade answered pointing to Ruby "Although Qrow's voice is very familiar"

"Told ya" Yang replied.

"This is gonna take awhile to get used to" Roman sighed sitting down in the open chair.

"You remember me?" Ruby asked smiling.

"Don't get too excited, I don't remember you the way you think"

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"The past two weeks every time I sleep I have the same recurring dream... or nightmare I suppose. I see Ruby's face staring up at me mortified and a blade piercing my chest along with Qrow's voice calling her name"

"That's all you remember?" Qrow asked finally sobering up slightly.

"That's it"

"The important thing is he's alive!" Weiss pointed out "Slade can always get his memory back after all"

"Weiss is right. Slade being here gives us an edge we didn't have before" Jaune agreed.

"Ya! Cinder won't know what hit her!" Nora cheered.

"Where did you find Slade?" Pyrrha asked.

"My Mom's camp" Yang answered with a shrug.

"What were you doing in Raven's camp?" Qrow asked.

"What I'm doing in any bandit camp. Capturing or eliminating the leader, cut off the head of the snake and the body dies" he explained.

"You really think you could've taken Raven?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

"Coward like her? Any day of the week"

"Coward?" Qrow was confused.

"Raven's only alive right now because she hid behind Weiss as a hostage when her men proved to be no match for me"

"Mom said he took down fifteen of her men before she even had her sword drawn"

"Impressive. I can see why she was afraid of you" Qrow laughed.

"So... why don't you all tell me what I missed out on? I might remember something" Slade offered sitting in the open chair.

* * *

Ozpin sat in his office sorting through papers, his scroll alerted him to a call from Qrow.

"Mr. Branwen, have you arrived in Mistral?" he asked setting the device onto his desk bringing up a larger version of the screen.

"Yeah, but I have a surprise for you, Oz" he laughed.

"Are you drunk?"

"No... maybe a little" Qrow answered "Kid! Get over here" he handed it off to Slade.

"Hello?" Slade asked not recognizing his face. Ozpin sat in complete shock, he briefly wondered if he hand fallen asleep and was dreaming but dismissed the thought.

"Slade? How... when... what happened to you?"

"I wish I knew. I don't remember anything after arriving on Patch, Ruby and the others have updated me on everything, but I still don't remember any of it"

"I see... so you remember nothing of your time here at Beacon"

"No, sir. You're Ozpin I take it?"

"Correct. I assume you're calling to ask what your next step for your mission is"

"Their mission. I'm just tagging along to see if I can remember anything"

"Understood. Please inform Qrow that I shall be informing him of his next step soon. Just keep to yourselves and don't make a scene until I call you back"

"Got it. There's one more thing we should tell you"

"What is it?"

"Roman Torchwick is here offering to help us"

"He's what? Why would he help us?"

"According to him I saved his life and he feels he owes me, he's repaying me by helping us against Cinder. Roman's only asked for one thing in return"

"Which is?"

"If anything happens to him, he wants us to take care of Neo"

"His accomplice?"

"Girlfriend apparently"

"Inform Mr. Torchwick we accept his terms. But if he should turn on us for any reason, Neo shall receive the harshest of punishments. Understood?"

"Understood... Ozpin" he ended the call leaving Ozpin to sit in his own thoughts, he contemplated what the next step would be. Glynda entered his office looking over her notes as she did.

"Professor, I believe I have figured out the best course of action-"

"Slade's alive" Ozpin interjected causing her to drop her papers all over the room. Glynda sat in shock before asking.

"How do you know?"

"I spoke to him on Qrow's scroll. Slade doesn't remember anything about us. The last thing he remembers is arriving on Patch"

"The same day we met him?"

"Indeed... I need to go to Mistral" he stood from his desk.

"In person? Professor, with all due respect you're needed here-"

"I know you and the others can handle everything while I'm away. Slade's return has changed things... Salem won't be expecting him, we can use that to our advantage. They're going to need me"

"I... understand" Glynda relented.

"Thank you, Glynda. Tell no one but the other teachers about Slade's survival. Taiyang should be informed as well, everyone else shouldn't know yet. The longer we can keep him hidden, the better the chance we have to surprise our enemies, and help him regain his memory"

"Of course, Professor. Good luck"

* * *

"Roman has abandoned us?" Salem asked Cinder angrily, causing Cinder and her team to cower slightly. Cinder regained her composure nodding her head in response.

"Roman Torchwick... when he joined us two years ago he was so afraid of dying that he practically begged to join us. Now he leaves us behind... what's his game?" Watts asked.

"Roman started with us with Neo not long after meeting her, apparently he's grown quite fond of her. She isn't the reason he left though, he would've been gone months ago if that was the case" Salem explained.

"Torchwick said something to us about being rescued by Slade" Emerald answered timidly.

"Slade Stroud... the boy you killed?" Salem asked looking to Cinder. she nodded in response "I want to hear you say it"

"Y-y-yes" Cinder said straining her voice.

"Well... at least we won't have to worry about him interfering with our plans again, recall the Pursuer and send him after his secondary objectives. Even though the attack went perfectly as planned, they were still able to repel it without losing any of their own excluding the boy. He certainly was a powerful adversary" Salem mused to herself.

Cinder leaned over to Emerald whispering into her ear "Cinder agrees, he was more powerful than she anticipated. Had she mastered the maidens powers he would've been easy to handle"

"Bold words for someone who was so gravely injured by a child" Watts chuckled. Cinder slammed her fist onto the table expressing her anger earning a smirk from him, knowing he got under her skin.

"Arthur is right Cinder. Never underestimate an opponent, they'll only use your arrogance against you. Always treat your enemies with respect in battle, that way they cannot surprise you. Slade had an advantage over you even when he was injured because you believed yourself too powerful to lose against a child. Never make that mistake again"

"Of course" she strained bowing her head in shame.

"Arthur, how goes the search for the spring maiden?" Salem asked curiously.

"Not well. Lionheart doesn't have the slightest idea of where she could be hiding. Somehow she just vanished into thin air"

"Keep pressing him. Leonardo will come through eventually; has Tyrion recovered yet?"

"Yes, he's prepared to do your bidding whenever you should require him"

"Excellent. Tell him should he fail me again, he'll wish losing his tail was all he suffered"

"Yes, master"

"What should we do in the meantime? The world already knows about us thanks to Ozpin repelling our attack" Mercury asked.

"Ozpin wasn't the driving force behind our defeat, the boy was. With him gone we have nothing to fear"

"But the four kingdoms united against us could prove a threat" Hazel pointed out.

"Humanity allied together does indeed display a threat to us. Divide them with doubt and that threat fades away" Salem explained "Start spreading rumors throughout the kingdoms about Ozpin's incompetence"

"It will be done" Hazel bowed his head slightly.

"What about... the girl?" Cinder asked stopping between each word as she regained her voice.

"She is the only concern we have moving forward, you are too vulnerable against her power. Tyrion failed in securing her this time, he won't fail again" Salem answered.

"She's going to Mistral to rally the huntsmen there" Emerald stated nervously.

"She won't get very far seeing as they're all dead" Hazel sighed.

"She's just a child, what threat could she possibly pose to us?" Watts asked.

"She carries the spark of hope"

"What does that matter?"

"One single spark can incite hope for humanity and ignite their hearts against us, Arthur. We must ensure we extinguish the flame she carries else humanity might rally behind her strength. Beyond that she possesses silver eyes, Cinder's only weakness"

"Sounds to me like that's Cinder's problem not ours" he pointed out.

"Are we not all allies here? Cinder's problem is our problem" Salem explained gesturing toward everyone in the room with her hands.

"As you say" Watts relented.

"What's the status of our friend Adam Taurus? Has he killed the White Fang leader yet?"

"Yes, he's already deposed her from her throne. His new arm came out nicely" Hazel answered.

"Courtesy of Arthur of course" Salem reminded them "Let's make sure to keep our activities private moving forward. Haven will fall soon, when it does. The world will be watching"

* * *

"All I'm saying is it sounds unbelievable not that I don't believe you" Slade laughed at Nora's annoyed expression.

"It happened! Right Ren?" Nora asked turning toward him with her hands on her hips.

"Not exactly"

"I knew it"

"Ren!"

Ruby and Yang watched the group from the corner of the room "I'm glad to have him back" Ruby smiled warmly.

"Me too" Yang smiled "You still have his sword?"

"Yeah, I told Slade we'd get it repaired in the morning. He feels naked without it" she laughed.

"How would you feel without Crescent Rose?"

"Don't speak such blasphemy" she gasped earning a laugh from Yang.

Yang's expression turned sour as she turned to watch Roman and Neo having their own one sided conversation "You think we can trust him?"

"I think trust is a strong word to use. But I believe him when he says he wants to help us"

"It doesn't make any sense, why would he change sides so quickly?"

"Love can make you do some crazy things, Yang. Like walking into your mother's camp and demanding her help or Slade rushing off to fight Cinder to keep me and Pyrrha safe"

"You can say that again" Roman agreed from behind her, Ruby twisted around abruptly.

"How long have you been listening to us!" Ruby asked pointing her finger accusingly.

"Long enough to know you're smart enough not to trust me completely. You should never trust me, always keep your eyes on me. You'll never be surprised that way"

"Trust me, I wont be taking my eyes off you, Torchwick" Yang growled. They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Expecting anyone?" Roman asked slowly walking toward his cane. Neo stood up from her place on the couch opening the door with a bright smile she waved.

"Neo?" Who is it?" Roman asked as she stepped aside to let Ozpin inside.

"Ozpin!" Ruby yelled grabbing him into a hug, the other students all lining up around him expectantly as Qrow entered the room.

"Oz? What're you doing here?"

"I decided to come along and help you in your mission, we're going to have quite some work ahead of us"

"The number of people who want me dead in this house just keep going up" Roman sighed.

"So long as you remain true to your word, I have no reason to harm you" Ozpin replied.

"Good to know" Roman deadpanned earning a giggle from Neo.

"How did you get here so fast? It took us three weeks to walk here" Pyrrha asked.

"Private airship. They're the best form of transportation" he answered with a wink.

"Professor" Yang addressed earning his attention "We all need to have a long talk"

"Indeed, we have much to talk about involving your mother and uncle, Salem, and myself. Guess we should get started" he sighed sitting down in the chair by the door "Where to begin"

"How about at the beginning" Slade suggested leaning against the wall. Ozpin remained silent taking a deep breath before starting.

"It was a long time ago..."


	18. Haven Academy

**Sorry for the delay, I was going to release this chapter yesterday but felt it was too rushed. Thank you all for your patience!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen: Haven Academy**

The room of students stared back at Ozpin as he finished explaining "I know this is a lot to take in"

"It's more than that, Professor" Yang sighed "So you really changed Mom and Qrow" she practically growled.

"Raven may have told you differently but it wasn't something he forced on us" Qrow explained "We both knew what we were signing up for when we accepted... Raven just suddenly cared more about living than what's best for the world"

"Sounds like something a bandit chief would do" Roman shrugged "Hell it's what I'd do"

"Why is he here again?" Jaune asked gaining a small laugh from Neo, Roman rolled his eyes.

"So there's four relics, four powerful maidens and you're immortal... that about sums up what you explained to us?" Ruby asked trying to wrap her head around what she had just heard.

"Don't forget the part about him being able to use magic, and Salem being the Grimm master" Pyrrha pointed out.

"It's certainly more than we expected when Qrow told us Cinder worked for someone else" Ren agreed.

"I understand your reservations. I have kept this a secret from the rest of the world to maintain the peace. Salem however is trying to obtain these four relics for some purpose that I don't even truly know, but I do know that she cannot be killed through conventional means... through all of my time fighting against her I've never been able to defeat her not permanently anyway"

"Doesn't matter if she's some immortal Grimm god or just some regular old bat! We can handle her! Especially now that we have Ozpin and Slade!" Nora yelled enthusiastically.

"Hell yeah it doesn't!" Yang pumped her fist into the air.

"I certainly don't plan on giving up given all that we know now" Weiss agreed.

"Count me in as well" Ren smiled at his friends.

Pyrrha looked at Jaune with a smile, he shook his head "Guess that means we're up for it too"

"I'm already screwed either way, so why not" Roman shrugged with Neo giving her own thumbs up to the group.

Ruby stared at them all with a large grin on her face "Then it's decided, we're all gonna help you take down Salem!" she pumped her fist into the air excitedly.

"Thank you... all of you, for understanding the threat we face. I promise I will do everything in my power to assist you where I can" Ozpin smiled warmly.

"You've been quite this whole time, kid... what's on your mind?" Qrow asked looking to Slade leaning against the wall behind Ozpin, everyone in the room suddenly turned their attention on him. Slade sighed shaking his head as he removed himself from the wall.

"I'm not sure what to think, you've told me that you reincarnate into others after you die and Salem is some immortal being controlling the Grimm. You created the maidens using your own power along with changing Raven and Qrow as well... these four relics you claim to have been left here by the gods. Why haven't the gods done anything to rid us of Salem?"

Ozpin sighed "Because they cursed me... the only way for me to break the curse is to kill Salem, I just haven't been able to find a way to do that yet"

"You're telling me that through the course of a thousand years you've never once been able to kill Salem?"

"No... Salem has most definitely died multiple times. Somehow she just keeps coming back"

Slade remained silent contemplating his options. He sighed "I'll help you... for now"

"Thank you, Slade. I promise you won't regret this"

"I'm not doing this for you, Ozpin. I'm doing it for them" Slade gestured to the others in the group "I can't figure out if you're just manipulating us or not, but I know these students you have here are willing to bet their lives you're telling the truth... I'm not willing to watch them die for this"

"Fair enough... I hope one day you come to trust me"

"Earn it"

"You have my word I will do everything in my power to ensure no harm comes to any of you"

"We'll see how much your word is worth" Slade sighed leaving the room, everyone stayed silent watching Ozpin as he placed his face into his hand exasperatedly.

"Professor?" Ruby asked timidly.

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Is Slade right? Are you using us to fight your war?" she asked.

"Ozpin chuckled "Very perceptive, Ms. Rose. Slade may not have said those words exactly but you caught his meaning anyway"

"I know him better than most" she looked dejectedly at her feet, Ozpin's smile dropped into a slight frown.

"I know..."

"You never answered her question" Roman pointed out narrowing his eyes at him.

"Your right. No I'm an not using you. You're simply the only option I have right now. Vale is still having trouble keeping Grimm out of the city, my teachers are doing everything they can right now to keep the situation in check. Without you all here, it would just be Qrow and I" he answered honestly.

Ruby's face lit up at his answer "Thank you for trusting us, Professor. We won't let you down!" she saluted.

"I know you won't"

* * *

Slade walked beside Ruby down the road on their way to repair his sword at the local blacksmith. Ruby remained awkwardly at his side not sure what the best distance to keep between them would be. Slade sighed noticing her fidgeting.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Ruby?"

"Huh? No! Not at all, I'm just... not sure how to treat you. We were... friends before and now it's like we don't even know each other" she explained embarrassed.

"Give it time. I'm sure once I regain my memory you and I will return to being friends just like before" Slade tried reassuring her. Ruby smiled back with a nod.

"Yeah, we had some good times"

"Wish I remembered them... ever since my parents died I haven't exactly had much time for fun" Slade sighed.

"I'm sorry"

"For what?" he asked confused.

"It must be hard, not remembering a big part of your life. Yet all anyone keeps doing is bringing it up again"

"I suppose it is. The others all look at me like I'm a hero or something. But I'm not, the Slade you knew isn't the same Slade you're talking to today. I never experienced classes and festivals with you all and I never experienced any battles with you. Sometimes I wish I was the guy you all want me to be... I just can't pretend to be someone I'm not"

"I understand. Many of us aren't the same since the attack, especially after we thought you had died"

"I can sympathize over you losing a friend. It's never easy losing someone you care about"

"No... it isn't" Ruby agreed "The shop should be just up here, right?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"Should be" Slade answered pointing to the shop a few doors down from them with a sign on it "Fame Of Flame" he read aloud.

"This is where you had Obsidian made originally?" Ruby asked.

"She's an old friend of my father's" he answered opening the door.

"Welcome to Fame Of Flame! Mistral's best-" the woman stopped dropping the hammer in her hand at the sight of them "It can't be... you're" she gasped.

"It isn't" Slade replied stepping closer to her removing his hood.

"Slade? Slade Stroud? Forgive me I thought it was your father"

"Guess I look more like him than I thought" he chuckled "How're you doing Celeste?"

"Pretty well, considering my best customer died six years ago. How've you been?" Slade held up the case with his broken blade inside.

"Not as fortunate as yourself" he answered opening the case.

"How in the world did you manage to break this? I made it from real obsidian you know! Supposed to be nearly unbreakable" she sighed.

"Nearly being the key word"

"I imagine you would like it to be repaired?"

"That's why I'm here"

"Well... I just so happen to have held onto the leftover obsidian I had to create the original blade. I should be able to recreate it, maybe reinforce it a bit so it doesn't break again so easily"

"That'll do, Celeste. How much?"

"For you and your girlfriend here? Half"

"Deal" Slade placed the lien on the table. Ruby blushed profusely, secretly happy he didn't correct her on the girlfriend jab.

"You don't have to pay for it until it's done, Stroud"

"I know. I've seen your work before, I know it'll be worth twice what I'm paying you" he replied with a wink.

"Stop with the flattery. I'm not as easy as your father may have led you to believe"

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"Well I'll have to melt it down again, then add the-"

"Celeste"

"One week... two at the most"

"I will see you in two weeks" Slade nodded turning to leave.

"It'll be done. Nice seeing you again. Take care of him, you hear?" Celeste called after Ruby as they left.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ruby saluted following quickly behind Slade, as she exited the store someone bumped into her.

"Watch it!" he yelled.

"Sorry!" Ruby called after him as he ran by them.

Slade grabbed him by his arm as he passed stopping him in his tracks "Where do you think you're going?"

"Slade, you don't need to get aggressive or anything he only bumped into me" Ruby said thinking he was upset about her being ran into.

"Let go of me, man! I didn't do nothin!" he yelled pulling away, Slade's grip remained steadfast.

"Did he?" Slade asked turning his arm over and opening his hand to reveal Ruby's lien "I'd say he did more than bump into you" he smirked raising his eyebrow at Ruby's shocked expression as she checked her pockets.

"He stole that from me!?" she yelled surprised.

"You clearly haven't been to Mistral before" Slade chuckled taking it from his hand. Twisting his arm around his back he kicked him in the rear stumbling him forward "Get out of here before I change my mind" he warned as the boy ran off quickly around the corner.

"When did he take my Lien? How did you know he took my Lien?" Ruby asked accepting it back from Slade.

"He bumped into you, it's a common trick implemented by pickpockets to distract their targets while they take something from their pocket" Slade explained "I've used it myself from time to time getting information"

"Cool" Ruby stared at him with a starry gaze. Slade smiled at her childish nature.

"We should head back, we don't want to be seen" Slade suggested placing his hood over his face, Ruby following suit shortly after.

"You believe everything Professor Ozpin told us last night? Some of it was pretty crazy" Ruby asked curiously.

"I don't think everything he told us is the whole truth, but I believe him for the most part" he answered "Ozpin doesn't strike me as the kind of person to aimlessly sacrifice people"

"Yeah, he was always pretty good about keeping us as safe as he could, even during the attack on Beacon. His first priority was the citizens of Vale"

"Sounds like a good leader to me"

"What defines a good leader?"

"The same thing that defines a good friend" Slade answered.

"Huh?"

"You'll figure it out one day. You're our team leader after all, I know you have what it takes to be a great leader" Slade assured with a genuine smile.

"How do you know?"

"I'm good at reading people, something my father taught me when I was younger. I haven't been wrong before" he answered with a shrug, still walking as Ruby stopped in her tracks; she smiled watching his backside as he continued.

 _Even after what he said, he's still the same old Slade_ she giggled.

"Hey" Slade called back "You coming or what?" he asked tapping his foot impatiently.

"Sorry!" she rushed back over to him "Must've been daydreaming again" she offered sheepishly rubbing the nape of her neck.

* * *

"You what?" Slade asked in an irritated tone.

"I need you to remain here while we meet with Leonardo, if he's working with Salem then we need to keep your survival a secret for as long as possible. The moment she finds out you've survived she'll expedite any plans she has of obtaining the relics from the Academies"

"So you want me to do what? Hold down the fort while you're away?"

"Of course not. Slade you have yet to learn how to use your semblance again, you seem to have retained most of your combat experience subconsciously from what Weiss told us, but you still have much to learn. Roman and Neo will be helping you relearn your semblance once again while we're gone. Once I return I shall oversee your training myself"

"I don't even know the first thing about my semblance, how am I supposed to relearn it?"

"You've never backed down from a challenge before, I'd hate to see you start now"

"Stop treating me like the Slade you knew, I'm not that guy"

"I don't believe you changed so much in a year that you cannot honor the name you made for yourself. After all you've been more of a Huntsman since your parents death than anyone at your age ever has before... I know you have it in you to be the man you once were" Ozpin finished turning away from him.

"Can I at least have a hint about how to use my semblance?" Slade asked.

"Your ability to teleport relied heavily on your aura... hopefully that's enough of a starting point" Qrow replied before following Ozpin.

"We'll be back soon!" Ruby called with a wave as they walked out the door leaving Slade alone with Roman and Neo.

"C'mon, kid. We've got quite some work ahead of us" Roman smirked spinning his cane in his hand resting it on his shoulder. Neo gave him a playful smile grabbing his hand she dragged him out the backdoor to the open hillside with Roman shortly behind them.

"Alright, alright, I get it" Slade shook his hand from Neo's as they arrived, Roman and Neo lined up across from him "What's the plan for learning this?" he asked.

"Simple. I'm going to shoot you until you teleport out of the way" Roman answered aiming his Cane at him firing it without waiting for his reply. Slade was knocked onto his back from the force of the blast colliding with his chest. Standing back up he growled at him.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind"

"Take two!" he yelled firing again, Slade blocked the blast with his gauntlets sliding back as it exploded.

"Clearly your enjoying yourself" Neo gave Slade a thumbs down sticking her tongue out at him.

"Blocking isn't allowed, the only way you're going to learn to teleport is the same way you learned last time. Through combat, you were helpless against a blast of energy from Cinder when you knocked Red out of the way to protect her"

"That's how I unlocked my semblance?" he asked.

"That's what she told me. Third times the charm" he chuckled firing again. Slade vanished just as the blast was a mere inch from his face, he reappeared behind Roman as the blast hit him in the chest sending Roman onto his back while Slade was unharmed. Slade stood in shocked amazement as Neo pointed and laughed at Roman's predicament.

"Amazing" Slade grinned looking at his hands.

"Well it looks like you've grasped how to teleport already, and apparently how to redirect attacks. Don't do that again please" he sighed once he was on his feet.

"Guess that makes us even huh?"

"Still owe you for saving my life, so not quite yet"

"I didn't get the sense you're a man of honor"

"People can change" Neo gave him a knowing look "Okay maybe not, but if it wasn't for you I still wouldn't be around to keep Neo safe like I promised her. I know Salem and her followers couldn't care less about Neo, that's why I came to you guys for help" he explained.

"Sounds like you made the right choice"

"I hope so" Roman smiled at Neo's playful demeanor as she leapt on his back with a huge grin on her face.

"Should we get back to it?"

"Yeah, you've still got a long way to go before your at the level you were the night you "died"

* * *

"Hello?" Ruby called as the entered the school finding empty hallways "Hello!?" she called louder than the first time.

"Maybe try louder?" Nora suggested sarcastically.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone here" Ren pointed out.

"Strange for a school to be so empty" Pyrrha agreed.

"Indeed, something feels wrong" Ozpin added.

"Wrong?" Weiss asked.

"Well, I guess school isn't really in session right now. Maybe that's it" Jaune offered hopefully.

"No, this isn't right. Come on" Qrow hurries ahead.

"Wait for us!" Ruby called as she rushed after him. They all come to a stop in front of a pair of large wooden double doors, Qrow readies his weapon.

"Get ready. There could be trouble"

"Always am" Yang smirked.

They follow his lead in drawing their weapons. Qrow brings up his foot and kicks the door open. Just on the other side, Leonardo Lionheart widens his eyes, throws his hands into the air, and lets out a frightened scream. Jaune, Ruby, and Nora widen their eyes and scream as well, while Ren and Pyrrha give the headmaster a confused stare. Standing on one foot with his eyes wide, Qrow suddenly looks down, loses his balance, and falls. Shortly after, Lionheart gasps frightened and briefly faints.

"Uh... Professor Lionheart?" Ruby asked curiously. Lionheart gasps and sits up.

"Qrow! For crying out loud, you nearly scared me half to death!" Qrow stands up with a growl.

"Me? Why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance?" he asked irritably.

"Huh?" pulling a pocket watch from his coat and checking it "Oh, right. Apologies. I guess time slipped away from me"

"You're joking"

"Where is everybody?" Nora asked curiously.

"Ah, you must be the students that Ozpin mentioned" Leonardo said leaving her question unanswered.

"Yes, sir" Ruby replied with a loose salute "Ruby Rose"

"Jaune Arc"

Nora's arms held stiffly out to her sides "Nora Valkyrie"

"Lie Ren" he introduce placing his arms behind his back.

"Weiss Schnee" she curtsied.

"Yang Xiao Long" she cracked her knuckles.

Leonardo chuckled "A pleasure to meet you all. Leonardo Lionheart, at your service. I'm afraid most of my staff are currently away until classes resume, but-" he explained.

Qrow clenched his fist leaning in annoyed "What? Leo, you can't be serious. Who's guarding the relic?"

"Qrow, the children"

"Already know. I filled them in. What do you mean your staff is away?" Qrow pressed leaning back.

"You... filled them in?"

"I felt given the circumstances that they earned themselves an explanation" Ozpin answered stepping in front of the group.

"So, is this not going at all like anyone thought it would?" Nora asked leaning toward Ruby, she shrugged in response. The group entered most of them getting comfortable on the furniture lining the walls, Qrow and Ozpin stood as Leonardo sat down at his desk.

"I have to say, Qrow, this all seems very reckless. Even for you"

"No, reckless is leaving the relic unguarded. It's not checking in with me for ages" Ozpin listed off sternly.

"There was nothing to check in about! Before the attack on Beacon everything was fine, afterward Mistral was in chaos! Everyone in every kingdom saw monsters climbing the walls, Atlesian knights attacking citizens... then nothing. You could feel the dread in the air. With all that negativity, you can imagine what it was like when the Grimm came for us" Leonardo explained walking to his window "Mistral's territory is the widest reaching in the world, you know, and that makes it infinitely harder to protect. We lost so many great Huntsmen, teachers from this very institution. And it's only gotten worse"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"We may have dealt with the Grimm, but the Mistral council's still at odds with representatives from Atlas. First, it was the Dust embargo, now it's the closing of borders. I'm not sure what happened to James in Vale, but it seems to have only worsened some of his more unfortunate tendencies. And, on top of everything, we still don't know where the Spring Maiden is"

"All the more reason we need Huntsmen and Huntresses here!" Qrow argued.

"Enough" Ozpin interjected gaining they're attention "I know where the maiden is"

"What? You do?" Lionheart asked in shock.

"It's not exactly good news" Qrow added.

"What're you talking about. This is incredible news! After all these years she's been gone. Where?"

"She was picked up by the Branwen tribe" Ozpin answered.

"Raven" Lionheart spat darkly.

"Mom?" Yang asked "My mom has the spring maiden?" she repeated.

"I'm afraid so" Ozpin answered connecting his scroll into the desk bringing up a map of the region "The tribe has had an easy time getting followers after Raven returned to the tribe, with the spring maiden it's only been easier"

"This is wonderful, with these coordinates, we should be able to mount a retrieval force and head out in a few weeks" Lionheart announced copying the files from Ozpin's scroll to his own then disconnecting it from his desk.

"A few weeks?" Qrow asked.

"That's right"

"Maybe you didn't hear me, Leonardo. Raven Branwen has the spring maiden and we know where she. We need to go as soon as possible" Ozpin explained.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me! The kingdom is in shambles, "As soon as possible" doesn't mean tomorrow. It means as soon as I can convince the council that I need Huntsmen more than they do. Unfortunately, bandit tribes aren't very high on their list of priorities when the threat of war is on the horizon" he explained.

"Then we go around the council. The three of us are fully trained Huntsmen" Ozpin replied gesturing between the two of them and Qrow "These students aren't push overs either" he added.

"Yeah!" Nora yelled jumping up and down while Ruby and Yang fist bumped.

"Perhaps there is a more peaceful way to approach this?" Ren offered.

"We need to get Spring as far away from here as possible. And Raven isn't going to give up her most prized possession without a fight" Qrow insisted.

"Unfortunately, you and your sister are evenly matched. And I'm not the fighter I used to be. No offense, but these students and I can't take on an entire bandit tribe and a Maiden that's no doubt had years to hone her skills. We need to be positive we can apprehend Spring, because if we fail; Raven and her tribe will scatter and we'll be lost. We get one shot at this and it needs to be perfect" Leo explained.

"I can handle my fair share of troubles, Leonardo. I'm not so old that I cannot fight someone like Raven" Ozpin reminded him.

"What about Cinder? She came with Mercury and Emerald from Haven. Do you have anything on them?" Jaune asked.

"I pulled their files after the attack. Nothing but lies and forgeries" he answered, Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

"You're telling me you have nothing on them? Nothing about their backgrounds or any family members?" Ozpin asked leaning onto his desk, placing something on the underside of the desk as he did.

"If I had anything I would give it to you. I promise you everything we have on them isn't reliable" Ozpin stood up straight from his desk.

"This wasn't that warm of a welcome" Ozpin sighed.

"I know you've all traveled a long way, I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. I will help you in anyway I can"

Ozpin motioned for the others to follow as he exited his office "It was nice meeting you" Ruby waved as they left.

"Likewise..." he sighed as the doors closed behind them, he pressed a button on his desk making a holographic W pop up.

"Oh, Leo. We have got to work on your improvisational skills" Arthur Watts's voice chuckled.

* * *

"We're back!" Yang called entering the room. They received no response as they closed the door behind them.

"They must still be out back training" Qrow said opening the back door he found Slade staring down Neo and Roman.

"Ready" Slade nodded to them. Roman fired his cane only for his blast to disappear as it reached Slade, Neo stood between them with a grin. Slade outstretched his hand the blast from Torchwick's cane reappearing and shattering Neo's illusion. Neo clapped excitedly from behind him.

"You've already matched your speed during the tournament and have mastered redirecting attacks. You're a natural born prodigy" Roman stated clearly impressed.

"Actually, I didn't redirect that attack like earlier, I stored the attack for later use" Slade explained "Not sure exactly where it goes, but somehow it wasn't here then it was"

"Amazing" Qrow smirked beside Ozpin.

"It just feels so natural to me, as if I have done it a thousand times"

"Probably because you have" Roman wiped beads of sweat from his brow.

"You all seem to be getting along just fine" Ozpin smiled warmly at them.

"Kid's learned a lot since you left" Roman replied relaxing against the nearby fence.

"I can see that. Thank you, Mr. Torchwick, Neapolitan, for helping my student relearn his semblance" Ozpin chuckled. Neo grinned giving him two thumbs up. Roman tipped his hat toward him.

"My pleasure, Professor. Hopefully this will help us stay alive long enough to strike back at Cinder and Salem"

"I get the feeling it'll be sooner rather than later" Ozpin replied.

"You found something already?" Slade asked" Damn you guys work fast"

"Nothing concrete Mr. Stroud. Leonardo lied to me when I asked him what he knew about Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. That's enough to know your theory about Leonardo working with Salem to be true. At the very least he is being blackmailed somehow... not sure that makes it better"

"It doesn't" Roman replied.

"My theory?" Slade asked confused.

"Yes. You were the one who figured out someone forged their credentials. Once we looked into it we figured out only four people could've done that and we knew it wasn't me or General Ironwood. Leonardo Lionheart was our prime suspect because of his position at Haven Academy where their credentials said they were from. That's the real reason we're here... because of your sharp mind"

"Y'know you keep telling me all these things about myself I find very hard to believe-"

"You just mastered your semblance in three hours, Mr. Stroud. You shouldn't doubt yourself so much. You still have a long way to go before you can best Qrow or myself, but you're most certainly stronger than most Huntsmen ever achieve"

"Do you have a semblance?" Slade asked.

"Not in the sense you all have. I have magic more than anything else. Qrow Branwen on the other hand has one of the most powerful semblances I have ever seen"

"Really?" Yang asked "What semblance is that?"

Qrow sighed "Misfortune"

"Huh?" Weiss was confused by his statement.

"It makes everyone around me have bad luck"

"Bad luck? That doesn't sound particularly powerful" Roman pointed out surprised.

"It's always active and doesn't differentiate between friend or foe. That's why anyone who fights with me needs to be extra careful. I can also amplify just how bad your luck is using my aura" he explained.

"How bad can you make someone's luck?" Yang asked.

"Remember the tournament match I sat in for? Slade had to deal with someone who's semblance was manipulation of ice, and he got both sides of the landscape to be ice. Also the cover he hid behind crumbled while he hid behind it. That's the kind of bad luck you can have when I'm not amplifying it at all" Qrow explained.

"Wow... then you could give someone really bad luck in a fight" Weiss laughed.

"That's why Oz considers it powerful. I cannot control it completely"

"So... what do we do now?" Nora asked with a shrug.

"We have some time before Leonardo will send for us to take down Raven and get the spring maiden. For the time being we should train you all" Ozpin answered.

"Train? Who's gonna teach us?" Pyrrha asked.

"I believe I hold the title of Professor for a reason. Qrow is also an excellent teacher, just ask Ruby"

"But what will we be learning?" Ruby asked.

"All of you are strong in your own right, but you're all lacking in some areas that need improvement. True Huntsmen and Huntresses can fight anywhere with anything. That includes without weapons. For example, Ruby: You are very skilled in combat and your aim is nearly perfect with Crescent Rose... however you are severely lacking in hand-to-hand. That shall be our main focus with you. Everyone here has something they can improve on, we shall help you do so"

"How do you know Lionheart won't just lead us into a trap?" Slade asked.

"We don't. In fact I'm quite certain that's exactly what he'll be doing. That's why you all need to be ready for a fight, you personally however shall be our ace in the hole"

"Me?" Slade asked.

"Cinder will more than likely be in attendance. Your survival is still a mystery to her, no one will be expecting you should it come down to a fight"

"How long do we have?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'd give it about a week, maybe more. Salem will want to have the relic before school starts up again at Haven. That's our window to secure it"

"Someone should keep an eye on the school then. Salem could send someone to secure the maiden from Raven and try and get the relic before we do" Qrow pointed out.

"That shall be handled by Mr. Torchwick and Neo" he answered.

"You're trusting us to spy on the corrupt headmaster working for the same people I just abandoned?" Roman asked shocked.

"Think of it as your official test. This shall show us if you are to be trusted or not" Neo saluted in response earning a laugh from the group.

"Alright then" Roman agreed in a bored tone.

* * *

"Are we ready?" Watts asked looking toward Leonardo.

Lionheart lifts his head to look at Watts as he closes the door behind him and steps into the room. A brief exchange of looks is made as Lionheart turns his head away from Watts who smirks in response. The two soon enter a secret hallway adjacent to the office. At the end of the curved hallway is a circular room containing a Seer Grimm.

"After you" Watts pushes Lionheart closer to the Seer Grimm.

"Your Grace, are… you there?" he timidly asked.

The red smoke-like substance contained in the head of the Seer Grimm shifts to form an image of Salem and Cinder Fall at their location in Salem's Domain.

"Hello, Leonardo. Do you have something to report?" Salem asked curiously.

"Of course, ma'am. I would not waste your time, if not"

"I'm still just so fascinated by this creature. Cinder dear, are we coming though?" Watts asked tapping the Seer "Can you see us clearly? Well, as clearly as you can" he mocked with a smirk.

"Shut... up" Cinder growled annoyed.

"Oh goody, you've recovered" came Watts sarcastic reply.

"Your report. What is it?" Salem asked motioning for them to stop.

"I've found the Spring Maiden" he answered.

"Is that so? Arthur, had I known how useful you'd be in expediting this process, I would've sent you long, long ago"

"As much as I wish I could take credit, ma'am, I can't say that either of us are to thank for this development. I guess you could say, a little birdie told us" Watts grinned.

"Explain"

"You see, ma'am. Qrow Branwen arrived at Haven earlier today. He believes the Spring Maiden has taken up residence with his sister's tribe" Lionheart explained.

"Is... the girl... with him?" Cinder strained her voice to ask.

"Yes, Ms. Rose was in attendance as well" Watts answered.

"And you know of the tribe's location?" Salem asked.

"Yes ,ma'am! But you have to hurry! Ozpin was here as well, I think he knows-" Salem makes a face of annoyed concentration and in response one of the Seer Grimm's tentacles shoots out to wrap around Lionheart's throat and choke him.

"Leonardo, do you remember the first time we met? I remember. I remember your fear. But, since that day, you've been extraordinarily brave. I won't forget all that you've done for me. Do not forget everything that I can do to you" The Seer Grimm slowly brings the point of another tentacle close to the face of Lionheart before drawing it back. Within the orb of the Seer Grimm, Salem makes a gesture, and the tentacle simultaneously releases him from the chokehold. Lionheart coughs and gasps for breath.

"Cinder, you and your team shall meet with Doctor Watts, and together, convince Raven Branwen that the survival of her people depends on her cooperation. Once you have Spring under control, escort her to the relic and contact Hazel. The White Fang were promised the destruction of Haven, and they'll have it once we have what we need" Salem ordered.

"Understood" Watts replied.

"Not you, Arthur. I need you to help Tyrion with another matter"

"Another matter?" he asked confused.

"Atlas is our next target as you know. We need to begin implementing our plans out there if we are to be successful, they have the most powerful defenses after all"

"Of course, ma'am"

"Leonardo" she addressed him.

"Yes, your grace?" he asked fear evident in his voice.

"What is it you were trying to tell me before?"

"Ozpin, he's here in Mistral with Qrow"

Salem's eyes narrowed "Why?"

"I think he suspects something from me, I refused to check in with him like you asked. Perhaps he felt it was necessary to investigate personally"

"Arthur? What are your thoughts on the matter?"

"General Ironwood accessed the files on Cinder's team the night after the attack, that's how he found their credentials to be fake. I assume he informed Ozpin, that's when he must've decided to send Qrow, the decision I don't understand is for him to come personally. If Ozpin was trying to learn if Leonardo turned on him or not he would've just allowed Qrow to handle it alone. Instead he shows up and with many first year students from his own academy"

"Slade was a first year if you remember. Don't underestimate them on account of their age"

"Yea, ma'am"

"Ozpin's presence means nothing, so long as we get the relic and Haven falls. We must obtain the relics and the power of all the maidens if we are to finally end Ozpin's curse and allow me the pleasure of killing him one last time" Salem grinned menacingly.

* * *

Slade sat upon the hilltop outside the back of the safehouse, silently watching the sun rise over the mountain.

"You're up early" Weiss called from behind him coming up and sitting down next to him.

"I wasn't very tired" he replied without turning toward her.

"You never were a big sleeper, even back at school" she giggled lightly.

"Can I ask you something?" Slade turned his head toward her raising his eyebrow curiously.

"Of course"

"After Beacon was attacked I know I was reported dead, shortly after Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren went with Qrow on a mission to come here. You and Yang didn't show up until later when the three of us all coincidentally met at Raven's camp. Yang already told us why she wasn't there and why your missing teammate Blake isn't here as well; the one I haven't met. I was wondering why you weren't originally on the mission with Ruby?"

Weiss looked down dejectedly sighing with a shake of her head "Because my father wanted me back home so he could continue controlling me"

"Your father? CEO of the Schnee Dust Company?" Slade asked.

"My father doesn't deserve my family name, he's a terrible man. Everything about our family is just another thing for him to control... he doesn't even care about anything but himself"

"I know your father is a bad man, but everything he's put you through your entire life has made you into the person you are today. Never forget that"

"I... I never thought about it like that before"

"It's something my father told me the night he died. He told me that no matter how much I hated him for treating me the way he did for so many years, he would do it a thousand times over if it made me into the person I am today... without another word he leapt into the heat of battle with the Grimm, knowing he would lose"

"Sounds like what you did back at Beacon" Weiss smiled at him.

"I don't know about that, and I don't know if your father feels the same way about you. But I know that the Weiss Schnee I see before me today; I would gladly follow into battle" Slade smiled back at her, Weiss's face changed to one of shock, tears began falling down her face. Weiss grabbed him into a hug, to his surprise.

"Thank you, Slade. You don't know how much that means to me"

"Your... welcome?" he asked hugging her back.

"The first day we were part of team RWBY you and I talked about Ruby being the team leader when I thought I should be the leader. One of the things you told me is you would never follow someone like me into battle with the way I was acting... since that day I've been working to better myself to become worthy of that level of trust Ruby inspired from you the day you met her" she explained ending the hug.

"So what I said just now... you feel you've finally reached that goal" Slade smiled in understanding "I may not remember Beacon or RWBY but I can tell you that I know with absolute certainty, I would've fought with you no matter what enemy we faced"

"Thank you, that means a lot to me"

"Glad to see you two getting along" Yang called from behind them "Even back at Beacon you two never really talked all that much" she added sitting down next to Weiss.

"Things can change" Slade laughed "After all, I never thought anyone would ever consider me a hero... but everyone here seems to feel that way about me"

"Because you are a hero. You were the only person who "died" during the entire assault because of you" Weiss explained.

"What exactly did I do that night?" Slade asked confused.

"Ruby didn't tell you?" Yang asked surprised.

"She glossed over the details of some things, the dance, the attack, even the tournament" Slade answered with a shrug "Guess they were hard to talk about"

"Makes sense" Qrow's voice came from behind them causing them all to jump in surprise.

"Uncle Qrow! What're you sneaking up on us for!?" Yang yelled accusingly.

"Because it's fun" he answered with a chuckle "Slade and I need to talk"

"What about?" Slade asked standing from his place on the ground.

"Privately" he replied turning around motioning for Slade to follow.

"Guess I should see what he wants, it was nice talking" Slade called over his shoulder as he followed behind Qrow.

"Later" Yang called back.

"What do you think that was about?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know, I'm more concerned with why Ruby didn't tell him they were dating"

"They were more than dating, Yang" Weiss giggled.

"That's why it's even more concerning"

Slade and Qrow stopped around the side of the house overlooking the lower market area "What was it you wanted to talk about?" Slade asked.

"I know you don't trust, Ozpin"

"That's no secret, I know he hasn't told us everything about Salem or himself for that matter"

"Oz doesn't tell people things they don't need to know. Especially since it could panic the average person, even Huntsmen. Why do you think Raven ran away"

"Ozpin doesn't treat me like an average person, he treats me like some great and powerful hero. It's a lot to live up to..."

"One day you'll see that your every part the hero everyone knows you to be, before you know it you'll have your memory back and it'll be like nothing ever happened"

"I hope so... May I ask you something?" he asked hesitantly.

"What?"

"When Beacon was attacked... what did I do that was so heroic?"

Qrow sighed deeply "Pipsqueak really should be the one to tell you"

"Ruby doesn't seem to have fond memories of that night anymore than you do. Someone needs to tell me what happened"

"You're... you're right, you deserve to know. Just before the attack you somehow figured out Cinder was playing us using the tournament matches, you warned Ozpin and stepped in the middle of the match using your semblance to save Penny Polendina from Pyrrha's semblance killing her by accident, Penny was a android" Qrow explained getting a nod in understanding.

"You fought with Mercury Black, one of Cinder's subordinates until he escaped, with the help of the other students you evacuated the arena of civilians. You and Ruby went up to General Ironwood's flagship above the city being controlled by Torchwick, he was firing upon the ships defending the city from the Grimm. Once you were onboard you fought with Neo and Torchwick ending in their defeat, for some reason or another you saved Torchwick from being killed by the Grimm. Afterward you jumped yourself and Ruby to the school to help out there"

"Jumped?"

"Your semblance" Qrow answered getting a nod of understanding in return "That's when you saved Blake and Yang from Adam Taurus; leader of the White Fang attacking the school, during your battle you sustained multiple injuries. You removed his arm in return forcing him to flee. Afterwards you found out Ruby was going to try and help Pyrrha fighting against Cinder in Ozpin's office. You jumped there and saved both of their lives... again. That's where you got your scar on your eye. I arrived just before Cinder stabbed you through the chest after you fell unconscious. I still don't know how you saved Ruby while not conscious but that was the last we saw of you once Cinder threw you from the tower" he explained. Slade remained silent allowing the information to sink in.

"So the only memory I have of my time at Beacon was when I was unconscious" he sighed "I wish I remembered something!" he shouted punching the wall nearby.

"I know, kid, and you will. There isn't any challenge in the world you'd back down from" Qrow placed his hand onto Slade's shoulder reassuringly gaining a small smile in return.

"Thank you, Qrow... you've been very helpful with my transition back into this life with you all"

"I'm sorry Ruby hasn't been more help, she's been hurting pretty badly since you died"

"Losing a friend is never easy" Slade nodded his head in understanding.

"You were more than a friend to her, kiddo"

"More?"

"Not my place to tell you, if Ruby wants you to know she'll let you know. Until then don't pry" Qrow answered turning away from him.

"Was this all you wanted to talk about?" Slade asked confused as he was leaving. Qrow stopped turning his head back toward him slightly.

"I just wanted to be sure you weren't going to make the same mistake my sister did, Ozpin deserves better than that" Qrow replied with a nod before leaving once more. Slade rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

 _Same mistake as Raven huh?_


	19. Knowledge

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen: Knowledge**

Yang and Slade entered the room where Pyrrha sat eating breakfast while the others trained with Qrow downstairs.

"So you're getting your blade back today?" Yang asked. Slade nodded with a small smile.

"I'm finally going to be back to 100%. Besides the missing memories of course, those'll come later"

"Hopefully sooner" Yang agreed.

"I heard that" Slade sighed in agreement.

"You seem excited" Pyrrha pointed out.

"Obsidian is going to be finished today" Slade replied.

"That makes sense. I felt pretty useless after Cinder broke my blade, thankfully I was able to have it rebuilt before we left for our mission"

"It's hard living life like an everyday civilian. I took my weapons apart because I didn't believe in myself... but I desperately wanted them back the moment I finished" Yang agreed.

"Good thing Dad rebuilt them for you while you were finding your confidence again" Ruby offered from behind her sitting down next to Pyrrha.

"Dad may have been a bit overprotective when we were younger... but somehow he always knew what was best, even when we didn't want to hear it" Yang agreed with a fond smile.

"Cherish him for however long you can... he won't be around forever" Slade dejectedly looked at the table in front of him.

"Your dad must've loved you a lot to die fighting for you, Slade" Pyrrha said with a reassuring smile.

"Dad had an odd way of showing he cared for people, that's for sure... but I wouldn't have wanted him any other way. Without him I would never have met any of you guys"

"That's a fine perspective" Ozpin smiled from behind him.

"Good morning, Professor!" Ruby called.

"Good morning to you all as well" he replied taking a sip from his mug.

"You carry that thing around everywhere with you" Slade laughed "Even back at Beacon you-" he stopped himself realizing what he was about to say.

"I guess I do, some things- wait a minute... you remember now?" Ozpin asked in surprise. Yang, Pyrrha and Ruby stared at him in shock.

"I... I'm not quite sure, I remember you always carrying that mug around with you no matter where you were, even during our training sessions. But I'm not remembering much else"

"Something is better than nothing!" Ruby shouted excitedly.

"You've got that right!" Yang pumped her fist into the air.

"What's all the commotion up here?" Qrow asked coming upstairs with the remaining students.

"Slade remembers something from Beacon" Pyrrha answered.

"Just a little thing, nothing big" Slade assured trying to calm everyone down.

"It's a step up from not remembering anything" Ren smiled.

"Remember us already!" Nora yelled grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him violently.

"Nora, calm down!" Jaune laughed.

"Slade isn't going to remember anything any faster with you shaking him like that" Weiss lectured sternly.

"Sorry" she pouted releasing him. Slade stumbled regaining his balance.

"I'm just gonna go... I've got something to do" Slade said walking toward the front door "I'll be back soon" Everyone just shared worried glances with one another concerned they may have overwhelmed him.

"Alright, everyone get back to training" Qrow ordered getting groans in response. Ruby placed her head down onto the table as Qrow sat down next to her "You and I need to talk"

"About what? I thought I was doing good with the training-"

"Not about that, about Slade"

"What about him?"

"Why haven't you told him you two were dating?" he asked curiously. Ruby looked away dejectedly "Look, kid. I know it's not easy to talk about-"

"It's not that, Uncle Qrow" she answered looking back at him, he wore a confused expression.

"Then why haven't you told him?"

"Slade barely remembers Beacon at all right now, if I told him about us then he would feel pressured to feel that way again. I don't want to make things harder on him than they already are" she explained holding back her tears.

"I see... you're not keeping it to yourself because it's hard to talk about. You don't want to burden him with that information"

"Slade already has enough to worry about without me adding to it"

"You really love him don't you?" Qrow asked already knowing the answer; a small smile spread across his features.

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have said it to him if I didn't" Qrow rustled her hair with his hand.

"I'm sure he'll remember soon, when he does you two are gonna be inseparable like before" he laughed.

"Qrow" Ozpin's voice called gaining his attention "We need to talk" he said before walking out the backdoor.

"Be right back, kiddo" he stood from the table following him outside "What is it?" he asked closing the door behind him.

"Leonardo called; said he's ready to brief us on our strike mission against Raven"

"When?"

"He wants us to meet him at Haven as soon as possible"

"What's your hesitation then?" he asked.

"Roman reported no one entering or leaving Haven since he started watching"

You don't believe him?"

"The listening device I placed under Leo's desk tells a different story. Leonardo met with someone name Dr. Arthur Watts, somehow they communed with Salem and Cinder, he reported us to her. Salem sent Cinder and her team to gain Raven's cooperation and secure the relic from the school while Adam Taurus uses the White Fang to destroy Haven" he explained.

"Roman's lying to us then"

"I don't believe so, I have kept my eye on him while he watched the school. No one has entered or left through any of the entrances"

"How did he talk to this Watts then?"

"I don't know, but this meeting is obviously a trap. Make sure the students are prepared for a fight, I will contact Leonardo and tell him we're on our way"

"What about Slade? He's out in the town right now"

"He's collecting his blade from his old friend. Call Slade and tell him to gather Roman and Neo for us. I'll have a plan by the time we reach the school"

* * *

"Why hello. Thank you for coming" Leonardo greeted from a terrace held up by a statue beneath him "There seems to be more of you than last time" he chuckled nervously. referring to Roman and Neo with the group.

"You know what they say, Leonardo "the more the merrier" So what's going on with the council?" Ozpin asked smiling warmly at him. Slade was hiding by the entrance waiting for them to signal him to enter his hand around the newly forged hilt of Obsidian.

"Why... did you bring your weapons?" he asked confused.

"What? Leonardo we're Huntsmen, we never go anywhere without our weapons. You know that. Is everything alright?" Ozpin asked acting confused.

"Of course! Of course, just haven't had my evening coffee" he answered waving away the question.

"As nice as it is to see an old friend again, we have some work do to. Are we getting support from the council or not?" Ozpin asked.

While the two talk, Yang notices from the corner of her eye a black bird perched on a balcony railing "Mom?" Everyone's attention is turned to the bird. It flies away just as Qrow shoots at it, but he misses. The bird flies down behind Lionheart, transforming into Raven Branwen, donning her mask. Everyone glares at her.

"Raven…" Ruby gasped.

"They… they really are magic…" Nora said shocked.

"If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting" Raven removed her mask.

"What are you doing here?!" Qrow asked.

"I could ask you the same thing. You've been scheming, little brother. Planning to attack your own sister" she replied slowly descending the stairs.

"Leo… what have you done?!" Qrow yelled angrily.

"I-"

"Leo did what any sane person would in his position - he looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice. And it seems you all have too"

"You have the Spring Maiden" Ozpin replied sternly.

"I do"

"Then hand her over and let's work together! We can beat Salem!"

"All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!" Raven yelled back.

"You're wrong. We've done things that most people would call impossible, and I know the only reason we were able to do it is because we didn't do it alone! We had people to teach us, people to help us, we had each other. Work with us. At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try together. Please" Ruby holds her hand out. Raven glares at it.

"You sound just like your mother" she spat venomously. Suddenly, Raven draws her sword and creates a portal with her Semblance. From the portal, a fireball is launched and hits Ruby square in her torso. She lands several feet back.

"Ruby!" While Yang runs to her little sister, Cinder steps out of the portal.

"Hello boys and girls"

Slade was straining to keep himself hidden, he wanted to rush in and help but knew that would ruin their plan. Emerald, Mercury and Vernal all exited the portal as well.

"Cinder" Ruby glared from her place on the ground.

"C'mon guys, is that any way to greet your old friends?" Mercury asked mockingly. Yang growled in response.

"Everyone stay calm" Ozpin ordered.

"So nice to see you again Roman you've not only left us you betrayed us as well" Cinder grinned.

"Who're you again?" Roman asked earning a scowl from her in response.

Neo stuck her tongue out at Cinder as Hazel closed the doors behind them "The White Fang are prepping demolition and securing the school grounds. No one is getting in or out"

"This really was all just a trap" Weiss sighed disappointed.

"It would seem that way" Pyrrha agreed.

"How long have you been with them?" Qrow asked looking to Raven with disappointment.

"Don't be sad little birdie, Raven was a recent edition to our flock. Lionheart on the other hand, entrance to the Vytal Festival was a real treat, he's been feeding Salem information for a long time"

"Stop it" Leonardo begged shamefully.

"That's the reason we couldn't find any of the Huntsmen around here... you let Salem kill them" Ozpin sighed shaking his head.

"I-"

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Leo. Anyone in your position would've done the same" Cinder grinned once again.

"I know that's not true" Qrow replied "You're a coward, Leo!"

"Your sister realized fighting us was useless, Qrow. Join us-" Cinder began.

"Save your offer for someone who cares, Slave"

"Slave?" she asked confused.

"You're a slave for Salem. She doesn't care about you any more than you care about us" Qrow answered angering Cinder.

"Salem may be evil and want to end humanity, but at least she's never acted like anything else" Cinder shot back "Slade was just another pawn to be thrown away by Ozpin, just like his parents before him. If he knew what we know about Ozpin, he'd thank us for ending his suffering" she grinned evilly.

"How could you" Ozpin said his voice full of emotion "How could you just take my friends; the sacrifices they've made for the world... How could you take that and just shove it back in my face as if it's something to be proud of?" he asked wiping a single tear from his face "They were my friends... THEY WERE MY FRIENDS!" he yelled struggling to control his anger "I didn't send them to fight Salem alone, or ask them to place their lives in danger for me... they just did what they believed to be best of their own accord"

"Even after saying all of that... you've never actually told anyone why this war started have you?" Cinder asked knowingly, Ozpin's fist closed around his cane; his anger growing.

"Enough of the pleasantries, let's get down to business" Raven removed her blade from it's sheathe then charged forward clashing blades with Qrow. Cinder charged Ozpin with a sword made of flame in hand, forcing him to block her attack with his cane.

"Ozpin!" Ruby called rushing to help, Emerald jumped between her and Cinder blocking her path as Vernal did the same with Weiss attempting to assist Qrow.

"You're not gonna get anywhere near her!" Emerald yelled firing at Ruby. Ruby expertly deflected the bullets with Crescent Rose firing at Emerald while simultaneously launching herself away from her. Yang rushed to help only to be blocked by Mercury.

"Hey there, blondie. I'm thinking you owe me an apology for my leg, don't ya think?" he taunted.

"Running away was one thing, but this… you've crossed the line!" Qrow yelled attacking Raven.

"Sorry, brother. Sometimes family disappoints you like that"

"We're not family anymore"

"Were we ever?"

"I thought so, but I guess I was wrong"

Hazel charged forward running toward Ozpin with a deadly glare only to be stopped by JNPR "I don't wish to fight you" he warned struggling to contain his anger.

"Nor I" Ren agreed.

"But we will if you're working with her!" Nora yelled.

"So be it"

"Ozpin... you haven't changed at all, still thinking you can do everything on your own. You can't possibly defeat me now that I've mastered the Maidens power" Cinder grinned tauntingly striking for his throat.

"My power" he reminded her sliding his cane under her left leg stumbling her as he ducked under the blade.

"It would still be yours had you been smart enough to hold onto it" she countered with a barrage of glass blades launching them, Ozpin easily shattered the blades with his cane at blinding speed.

"No one, not even me deserves the power I was born with. Salem is proof of that"

"So what? You just thought you'd give it away? You're just as dense as Salem said you were" Cinder struck her blade for his chest only to have it blocked by his cane.

"Nothing you do to me today will matter, if I die here today buying them time. It'll be worth it" he punched her in the abdomen forcing the air out of her lungs. Cinder leapt away from him.

"They're the ones that matter to you then?" she asked as she raised her hand above her head, forming a spear in her hand "Shall we test that theory?" she asked aiming for Ruby currently engaged with Emerald.

"No!" Ozpin yelled charging her, Cinder used the spear to block his cane deflecting it to her left then placed her right hand onto his shoulder balancing herself over his head, she launched the spear from her hand grinning maliciously as she pushed off his shoulder with her heels.

"It's too late" she laughed.

"Ruby! Look out!" Ozpin called frantically, she turned just in time to see the spear vanish inches away from her face. Cinder's grin dropped to a look of fear.

"How did she do that? What did you do?" she asked accusingly at Ozpin.

"I didn't do anything" he grinned back standing up straight "An old friend did" The spear reappeared aimed at Vernal as she was about to strike Weiss, she barely managed to avoid it giving Weiss an opening to strike throwing Vernal onto her back.

"About time you got here, kid" Qrow smirked holding his ground against Raven. Hazel struck Pyrrha knocking her onto her back as Nora struggled back to her feet. Suddenly a large blast of energy threw Hazel backward; he rolled onto his knees sliding to a stop, he looked up confused.

Slade rested on one knee slowly rising to a standing position while unsheathing Obsidian pointing it at Hazel "It can't be, you died!" Cinder screamed, fear evident in her eyes. Turning back toward her he smirked beneath his mask "Not quite" he winked appearing in front of her kicking Cinder in the chest launching her into the wall nearby.

"Nice of you to drop by, Slade" Roman called from behind him. Neo caught Yang being thrown back by one of Mercury's kicks, nodding to her she dropped into a defensive stance.

"I still don't trust you" Yang replied joining her "But I hate Mercury more" she added earning a smirk from Neo. Charging forward Neo matched Mercury kicks with her own effortlessly, twisting around she kicked him in the abdomen then used her umbrella to backhand him. Neo flipped over him as he kicked toward her throwing him to the ground with a powerful kick to the back of his head. Yang ran past them rushing toward Ruby.

"Hey! I didn't say you could leave!" Mercury called turning around only to meet Neo's eyes once more, kicking toward her; she shattered revealing Roman in her place firing his cane. Unable to block the attack Mercury was thrown onto his back from the blast earning a laugh from Roman.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that" Yang arrived beside Ruby ready to fight Emerald.

"Just what do you think your gonna do here?" she asked gesturing to Yang.

"We're sisters, family always sticks together" she answered smiling at Ruby, earning a smile back.

"You make me sick with all your happiness"

Ozpin watched the fighting around the room, noticing JNPR having a hard time keeping up with Hazel "Can you handle Cinder?" he asked without looking at Slade.

"In my sleep" he answered back gaining a smirk.

"Good to have you back" he chuckled rushing off to fight Hazel.

"How... how can you be here... I know I killed you" Cinder ranted looking as if she was losing her mind, pulling herself from the indentation in the wall.

"Everyone has their own delusions" Slade chuckled "Yours just happens to have come back to kick your ass"

"It's not possible... not possible... can't be" she continued.

"I thought you were crazy before, but you've totally lost it"

"I'll show you!" Cinder screamed throwing a spear at him. Slade sliced through it easily only to find a second one behind it, he sidestepped it effortlessly.

"Did you really think you were going to hit me with that?" Slade asked. Cinder grinned looking behind him, Slade's confident smirk dropped at what he heard next.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune screamed. Whipping his head around he saw Pyrrha with a spear piercing her abdomen, Jaune caught her as she fell removing the spear he kept pressure on the wound. Pyrrha kneeling in front of Cinder atop Beacon flashed in Slade's mind briefly as he watched her fall.

"No... no, no, no" Slade repeated as he ran to her side, sliding to a stop opposite Jaune "I'm sorry, Pyrrha. I didn't know she was aiming for you"

Pyrrha coughed into her hand as she tried to speak "It's okay... I'm fine. Focus on the fight" she gasped out.

"You're not fine, Pyrrha a wound like that could kill you if you don't get the proper medical attention. I need to get you to a doctor-" Slade explained noticing Cinder firing a powerful blast of energy in their direction he turned around just in time for the blast to redirect at her just before it made contact with him. Cinder was knocked onto her back from the blast. Jaune's hands began glowing encasing Pyrrha in a faint white glow as he cried over her.

"I can't lose you, Pyrrha. Not now... I love you" he sobbed, Pyrrha's eyes were filled with tears at his words.

"I love you too" she choked out.

"Please don't leave me-"

"Jaune" Slade's voice interrupted "Whatever you're doing, keep going. It's working" Slade implored confusing Jaune. Looking down he noticed Pyrrha's wound was beginning to heal.

"How am I doing that?" he asked confused.

"You're Semblance" he answered. Looks like you've finally found your Semblance" he laughed standing up with a shake of his head.

"Ozpin!" Hazel's voice bellowed "I'm going to kill you again, and again, and again, until you finally stop reincarnating. You'll pay for what you took from me!" he screamed ripping off his sleeves and embedding dust crystals into his arms.

"I think we just found our opening" Raven said helping Cinder off the ground.

"Agreed. Leo! Open the vault" she ordered approaching with Vernal.

"You think you can run from me!" Hazel screamed charging Ozpin as he backed away. Slade appeared in front of Hazel knocking him back with a powerful kick to his face.

"What makes him hate you so much?" Slade asked.

"His sister enrolled at Beacon and died during a training mission. Hazel holds me responsible"

"Get out of my way boy! My fight is with Ozpin. If you get in my way I will kill you"

"Did she know?" Slade asked Hazel stopping him in his tracks.

"What?"

"Your sister. Did she know what being a Huntress was about?"

"She was only a child!"

"So is everyone else who joins the academies. I am no different. I nearly died, that's not on Ozpin. He doesn't get to make choices for us, we all chose to be here today just as your sister chose to attend Beacon"

"She wasn't ready!"

"She made a choice!" The same choice I made when I became a Huntsman... you put others before yourself" the two glared at each other, determination evident in their gaze.

"Then you have chosen death" he growled.

"So be it"

"This isn't your fight, Slade. Let me handle this-"

"Hiding behind a child!" Hazel yelled as Slade charged forward ignoring Ozpin's request "What kind of monster does that?!"

"The same kind who'd kill a child just for his selfishness" Slade replied striking his chest with his blade. Hazel ignored the attacks punching Slade in the chest only for him to vanish and reappear above him slamming his fists down onto his face knocking him to the ground. Nora slammed her hammer into his back as he tried to get up. Hazel grabbed her by her hair slamming her into the ground.

"How many more children must die-" he began just before being thrown by Nora's incredible strength.

"Be careful, his semblance is blocking out pain" Ozpin warned joining them both.

"I don't need to hurt him. I just need him to go down!" Nora yelled charging slamming her hammer into his chest she sent him flying through the wall into the courtyard with Adam Taurus and his men looking on.

"What's going on in there?" one of his men asked.

"None of your concern" Hazel shot back standing up he placed two more crystals into his arms roaring as he did.

"Stay focused! Our friends are almost done here" Adam ordered.

"Adam!" Blake's voice called gaining his attention.

"Blake?" he asked turning to see her standing proudly on the building above him.

"Who is that?" Hazel asked.

"Stand down" she ordered, the White Fang soldiers aim their firearms at her _._

"Wait!" putting his hands up as the White Fang soldiers stand down, before laughing evilly "To think that I went through so much trouble to find you, only to have you deliver yourself to me"

"This isn't what's right for the Faunus! Stop what you're doing and we can end this peacefully"

"You're wrong, Blake, and you can't stop us"

"No, I can't. Not by myself"

"That's why she didn't come alone!" Adam and his followers turn to the left in surprise, seeing Sun standing in front of a massive legion of Faunus all armed with blunt weaponry, their shields bearing the old White Fang symbol.

"What?!" Adam yelled annoyed.

"Who's there?" asked on of his soldiers. They then turn to the right, and see Ghira Belladonna leading another massive legion of Faunus.

Your brothers and sisters" Ghira replied

One of the White Fang Soldiers lowers his weapon, recognizing one of the Faunus in the crowd. "M- Mata?

"Please… stop this" Mata begged. Adam and his followers look all around them assessing the situation.

"Make no mistake, brothers! These are our enemies! And we will not let them ruin-" Suddenly, Adam is interrupted when a Mistral airship shines its searchlight down on Adam and his group. The Mistral police captain is seen on the airship with Kali Belladonna.

"Adam Taurus, this is the Mistral Police Force! Lower your weapons and surrender peacefully" The Police captains voice announced over the P.A.

Blake jumped down to the ground in front of Adam "How? How did you do this?" he asked shocked.

"Adam, it's over" Blake replied.

"Then it's over for all of us!" Adam yelled holding up the detonator pressing the button.

"What are you doing?! Trying to get us all killed!?" yelled one of his men from beside him when nothing happened.

"I'm making humanity pay for what they've done!" Adam yelled grabbing him by the collar.

"We sent someone over to confirm your explosives. Once she did she disarmed them" Blake pointed out gesturing to Ilia standing behind her.

Adam turned to Hazel "What do we do?!" he asked.

"This is your business, not mine. Fix it" he answered.

"I told you Adam, it's over" Blake repeated.

"Kill them!" Adam yelled running into the building behind Hazel, initiating a fight between the White Fang and Mistral's police force. Sun leapt into battle easily dispatching many of them, Blake pursued Adam inside but was shocked to find her entire team inside the building.

"Slade?" she asked confused. Yang turned to see Blake in complete shock as Slade wore a confused expression.

"Yang, Go!" Ruby yelled breaking her from her trance. Yang ran toward the open vault only for Mercury to grab her arm, she turned to face him as she ran her eyes flashing red. Suddenly she was replaced by Slade as she appeared in front of the vault slightly confused, turning back around she saw Slade in her place.

"Go!" Qrow yelled engaging Hazel alongside Ozpin.

"You're not going anywhere" Slade said just before unsheathing his blade striking for Mercury's head, forcing him to jump back blocking the attack with his metal leg. Emerald appeared beside him for assistance.

"Damn it" Mercury growled "What is it with you always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. You're just going to end up dead soon enough anyway, why delay the inevitable?"

"Because I have people I care about, I'm not going to just sit back and watch them die because things get hard" he replied.

"I'm going to make you regret ever coming back" Adam growled at Blake turning back toward her.

"More police are on their way, Adam. Huntsmen too"

"Still too afraid to face me on your own" he chuckled evilly.

"I'm here for Haven, not you" she replied. Angered he points his blade at Blake as she drew her own weapon

"Heh, you are still afraid, and you should be. I've made powerful friends while you've been away"

"Oh yeah?" Sun asked approaching them "Where?" Adam directed his blade toward Sun.

"Tell me, does Blake make all of her classmates fight for her?"

"Nah, it's a volunteer gig. I'm just sayin', for someone who claims to have such great friends, there doesn't seem to be a lot of people here willing to fight for you"

"You can try and make me regret coming here, Adam, but honestly… I've got more important things to deal with"

Adam lets out a frustrated growl and swings his sword at Sun, but he counters his attacks by swinging his shotgun nunchucks. Adam then blocks Blake's sword swings as she comes at him, followed up by Adam getting knocked away by Sun. Adam bolts, with Sun giving chase. Adam runs away into the bushes and trees while Sun continues to pursue him, but Blake calls out to him.

"Sun, wait!"

"But he's getting away! We could take him!"

Blake sheathed her katana "No, we can't. He wants to lure us away so he can pick us off. We need to protect the school and the people here. Besides… now he can see what it feels like to run away" she smiled at him "Thank you"

Sun smiled back "Eh, we all need help sometimes" he smiled back. Sun's attention is then drawn to Haven's Great Hall where he and Blake see their old friends and allies fighting off their enemies "I think there's a few people who could use yours" Sun is about to run off to help finish the fight, but Blake stops him before he leaves.

"Be careful"

"No promises" he smirked.

Blake and Sun separated as they each ran off in different directions, Blake leapt over Hazel kicking him in the face knocking him back slightly "You guys alright?" Blake asked.

"Managing" Nora groaned exhaustedly.

"This guy's aura regenerates faster than anyone I've ever seen" Ruby sighed regaining her breath.

"He's sheer willpower" Qrow explained struggling to catch his own.

"We need to take him to his limit" Ozpin offered. Hazel charged only to be knocked back by Pyrrha's shield hitting I'm in the face soaring back to her she caught it effortlessly.

"Then let's get started" she smirked being joined by Jaune.

Mercury kicked for Slade's head meeting his gauntlets instead, Ruby appeared beside Slade only to have his hilt smashed into her abdomen then roundhouse kicked in the face throwing Ruby onto her back. Ruby suddenly cleared to be Emerald using her Semblance to fool Slade, she rubbed her head painfully. Slade placed his hands onto Mercury's leg raising it up over his head and driving his knee up between his legs.

"AUGH!" Mercury cried in agony as Slade ducked under his leg wrapping his arm around Mercury's neck from behind slamming him into the ground over his shoulder.

"How did you know?" Emerald asked panting.

"You're illusions are far too obvious" Slade answered with a shrug "You can't fool me with your petty illusions" Mercury groaned dropping onto one knee from exhaustion.

"Slade" Roman's voice called from behind him as he approached with Neo "You should start helping them with Hazel. We've got these two rejects" he smirked as Neo giggled beside him.

"You sure you've got this?" he asked.

"Easily" Roman chuckled as Slade disappeared.

"Time to die!" Hazel yelled catching Ozpin off-guard, just as his fist hit Ozpin he was replaced with Slade catching his fist in his hand sliding back as the floor crumbled beneath his boots.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled concerned, before Qrow stopped her.

"Let him handle this, he's the only one who can match Hazel's stamina"

"But-"

"He'll be fine" Weiss assured placing her hand onto her shoulder "He's survived worse after all"

"How did you stop my punch?" Hazel asked confused.

"The same way I redirected Cinder's attacks, the only difference is I absorbed the energy this time instead of redirecting it" he answered just before releasing his fist as he pushed it to the side. Slade punched Hazel in the face twice knocking him onto his knees with the force of the attacks. Swinging his elbow upward into his face caused Hazel to sail backward rolling into a nearby wall. Slade appeared in front of Hazel once more, he stared up at Slade with slight fear in his eyes. Slade twisted around violently kicking Hazel through the wall back into the courtyard.

Neo easily blocked Mercury's kicks slamming her umbrella into his chest then kicking him across the face she knocked him onto his back, Emerald following shortly after as Roman slammed his cane into her back painfully.

"How is Slade alive right now? Didn't he die back at Beacon?" Blake asked watching the scene in front of them.

"We don't really know, Slade just woke up in the forest of Vale the day after the attack. I don't know for sure how he recovered from such grievous wounds overnight. Seems impossible" Ozpin answered.

"Amazing" she stared in awe. Hazel came charging through the broken wall at Slade. Leaping backward over his fist, Slade grabbed his arm vanishing from the room altogether with Hazel. Reappearing above Haven, Slade flipped releasing his grip on Hazel and threw him through the roof with a powerful kick to his abdomen appearing in front of Hazel as he came crashing through the roof he slammed his fist into Hazel's face knocking him back next to Mercury and Emerald.

The elevator to the vault came up with Yang standing on it alone with the relic in hand, Leonardo noticed this and ran for his office. Mercury and Emerald stared in shock.

Hazel stood back up seething in anger at the sight of Yang with the relic, Emerald dropped to her knees in disbelief; she begins to sob as Hazel and Mercury slowly back away.

"Emerald, get up, we've gotta go" Mercury called as he continued to back away from them. Emerald shakes her head and remains stationary "Emerald!" he yelled.

Emerald looks around as her breathing gets frantic. She holds her head and lets out a loud scream, activating her Semblance. Suddenly, the room turns dark as black smoke rises from the ground nearby. From it, a giant effigy of Salem, limbs bent and deformed, towers above everyone in the room. The giant Salem opens her eyes, and lets out an ear-piercing scream as it swoops down over everyone. Afterwards, everything returns to normal, Ruby shakes in fear as she comes to terms with what she had just witnessed. Everyone in the room is still present, with the exception of Emerald, Mercury and Hazel, who have disappeared.

"Wha-what was that?" Blake asked shaking in fear.

"An illusion... but an accurate one" Qrow answered "That was Salem"

"Certainly just as terrifying as she was in person" Roman agreed holding Neo's shaking form trying to comfort her.

* * *

"The police rounded up the remaining White Fang members. Haven is safe" Khali smiled.

"Unfortunately, it appears that Adam escaped" Ghira pointed out.

"It's okay" Ilia said approaching the group "He was the only one to escape tonight. Those in the White Fang that followed him? Won't support a leader that abandons his people. He won't have their help after this. He'll have no one at all. And the White Fang will be left divided"

"We've been fighting amongst ourselves for too long. Perhaps it's time for a new brotherhood. A new family for Faunus truly working towards a better world" Ghira suggested.

"And they'll need a new leader" Khali agreed.

Ghira nods in acknowledgement. Sun peeks behind Ghira and notices his old friends from Beacon, waving to them. He then wraps his tail around Blake to turn her around and have her see her old friends too. She slowly walks towards them nervously while Sun and her parents smile. Yang walks down the stairs and hands the Relic to her uncle.

"What happened?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know, when I got down there Cinder was gone and Vernal was dead"

"Raven?"

"Gone"

"Well.. we're all glad you're still here firecracker" he smiled placing his hand onto her shoulder reassuringly.

"What do you mean gone?" Slade asked.

"Mom gave me the relic and left, apparently she was the Spring Maiden all along" Yang answered.

Ruby groaned falling to her knees, Pyrrha caught her "Are you alright?"

"I feel like I should be asking you that" she sighed. They both look up to see Blake approaching them. Yang walks over and drops to her sister's side.

"So Blake, what're you doing here?" Ruby asked as Pyrrha released her, Weiss joining Yang beside Ruby.

"I… I was gonna ask you three the same thing" Ruby, Weiss, and Yang, share glances with each other.

"That's… a looooong story"

"Well… I'm not going anywhere"

"That's all that matters" she giggled "That we're all here together. Right?"

Ruby looks to Yang as she says that. Blake briefly looks away with a sorrowful expression on her face. Yang looks up at her and smiles. "Yeah"

Blake looks back over to them and smiles. Weiss offers a hand out to her, and she eagerly joins in to Team RWBY's first group hug after a long time of being apart. The four girls embrace each other while their friends look on smiling, the four of them look up at Slade smiling down at them, Ruby and Yang extended their hands to him gesturing him to join in.

"Oh no, I'm not much of a hugger-" they pulled him into the hug against his protest laughing all the while.

"You're part of the team, you don't have a choice about group hugs!" Ruby laughed.

Pyrrha smiled watching as Slade struggled under the grip of his teammates. She turned kissing Jaune on the cheek making him blush lightly. Nora grabbed Ren into a hug, Neo jumped onto Roman's back causing him to stumble slightly as he regained his balance.

"I don't know how, but we did it, Oz" Qrow smiled.

"They're more capable than I had anticipated. Ms. Belladonna's arrival certainly helped" he smiled at the group as they all stood up trading hugs with Blake.

"What do we do now?"

"We need to get this to Atlas" he answered gesturing to the lamp.

"Think Jimmy isn't gonna be too happy to hear about Leonardo"

"He retreated to his office... we should go pay him a visit" he sighed.

"Let the kids enjoy their victory for a minute... it's not every day you face overwhelming odds and succeed"

"What is Torchwick doing here anyway?" Blake asked.

"Suffice to say, I'm on your side right now. You have no reason to fear me or Neo... Salem's just as prone to kill me as she is to kill any of you anyway" he answered, Neo gave her a peace sign with her hand sticking out her tongue playfully from his back.

Ruby and Slade stood beside each other watching as Blake talked with the others. A few memories flashed in Slade's mind of him watching the group at school laughing together at the lunch table and in the library.

"Looks like the gang is all back together again" he laughed.

"Yeah, I'm glad to have Blake back. It wouldn't be the same without her"

Slade nodded in agreement smiling warmly at the sight before him, his mind was flooded with images of them in class together, and on the mission to Mountain Glenn, Slade placed his hand onto his head trying to stave off the pain, he slumped over slightly forcing Ruby to catch him worriedly.

"Are you alright?" she asked their faces inches apart.

"I'm fine I just..." Slade stopped taking in her features "I just..." he lost track of his words getting lost in her eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay, you-" Slade's lips smashed into hers, surprising Ruby. She quickly recovered melting into the passionate kiss wrapping her arms around his neck as he did the same with her waist.

"They're as close as ever" Blake laughed at the sight as they broke apart.

"Does that mean?" Yang looked at Weiss excitedly.

"What does it mean?" Blake asked confused.

Slade and Ruby broke apart "You remember" Ruby smiled up at him.

"I remember" he replied looking at her lovingly. Ruby released him jumping into the air excitedly.

"He remembers!" she shouted earning cheers from the group excluding Blake's confused response.

"Looks like we've got Slade back as well" Qrow chuckled.

"It seems it is a day for miracles"

"Misdirected passion... such a waste" Salem's voice came from behind them, Everyone turned with their weapons drawn to see the Seer with her face displayed upon it Leonardo's body being dragged along by it's tentacles.

"You've already lost, Salem. We have the relic, you can end this war right now" Ozpin urged pleadingly.

"An infantile display, Ozpin. Selfless pride limned by self-righteousness. You are master of nothing"

"Insult us all you want, but your pawns failed you" Slade stated stepping between Ruby and the Grimm defensively.

"You stand there now because I allow it. Because I have no fear. The relic will come into my possession in time, you've only delayed the inevitable... just like your parents before you"

"What did you say?" Slade asked shocked.

"Enough" Qrow sliced through the Grimm killing the connection to Salem.

"Well... that's a thing" Yang shrugged.

"Salem no doubt knows about your survival now, Slade" Ozpin sighed exasperatedly.

"Leo's dead" Qrow announced checking his pulse.

"We don't have much time now" Ozpin turned gesturing for everyone to follow him "We have to hurry"

The group followed behind him "Where are we going?" Ruby asked.

"Atlas we're going to need to-"

"Slade!" Yang's voice yelled worriedly. Everyone turned around to find him passed out on the floor.

"What happened?" Ozpin asked sternly.

"I don't know, he just collapsed" Blake answered.

"Slade must've overused his Semblance. Quickly let's get him back to the safehouse, Salem isn't going to wait around for us to arrive at Atlas before striking. Qrow call James and let him know of what's transpired here, we're going to need transport as soon as possible"

"You've got it, Oz"

"Jaune, Roman, help me carry him" Ozpin ordered urgently.

"Professor, I've never seen you this scared before. What's going on?" Blake asked.

"Someone fill her and Mr. Wukong in on the way back we need to hurry" he ordered lifting Slade up on his right side while Roman was on his left, Jaune lifted his legs as they carried him out the door.

"What's going on?" Blake asked again looking to Yang concerned.

"Salem knows Slade is alive now and we have a powerful relic she wants, suffice to say; we're about to have a bumpy ride to Atlas" Ren answered.

"That's the best kind!" Nora yelled.

"Nora!" Everyone yelled exasperatedly.


	20. Pursuer

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Nineteen: Pursuer**

 **Salem's Domain: Two years ago**

"Cinder! Cinder!" Tyrian's voice called as he race down the steps toward her.

"Right here. What is it?" she asked irritably.

"Where is her grace?" he asked frantically.

"Her usual spot" she answered raising her eyebrow questioningly.

"The Chamber Of Tranquility? Again?" he asked.

"Yes. Go and see for yourself" she replied with a mischievous smile.

"That isn't funny!" he turned looking off into the darkened wasteland around them over the stronghold wall "I suppose I have no choice but to wait, but the clock is ticking. Time is running out. What to do?" Tyrian asked walking away talking to himself "Why is she never around when I need her? It's almost as if she knows I'm looking for her"

Cinder shook her head and began walking away up the steps further into the stronghold "You know, I don't like that place either" Mercury called from behind her, Cinder turned to see him sitting on the edge of the inner wall "What about you, Cinder? What do ya think?"

"I think eavesdropping is intrusive" she answered "Why are you even here? You and Emerald were tasked to recruit new members" she asked as he jumped down to her level "Have you forgotten, or were you procrastinating?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"As if! I'm doing my job. I'll have you know, I found one just yesterday. Roman Torchwick and his associate "Neo" something. That puts our organization's count at eleven if we count Lionheart. Since I've been working so hard, I had Emerald take over for today; she's looking into some Faunus from the White Fang. I want to rest up for tomorrow so I can wake up feeling nice and refreshed" he explained.

"Is that so? Well, then, I will leave you to it. I have work to catch up on. Good day" she waved turning back around. Mercury jogged to catch up to her placing his arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, don't be like that. Come on. Stay and talk" he said using his left arm to express his disappointment dropping it down at his side dramatically "Isn't it time you told me about Salem's little secret?" he asked. Cinder glared at him narrowing her eyes threateningly. Mercury's hands came up in mock surrender walking cautiously away from her.

"How long ago was it? When three Huntsmen infiltrated this very castle and unleashed a spectacular battle with Salem and her followers?" he asked gesturing around him "And when it was all over, all that was left was a girl lying unconscious without her memories... Salem... er, I mean Summer was found by Ironwood right around then, wasn't she? he asked slowly ascending the stairs in front of her.

"Your point?" Cinder asked.

"The Chamber Of Tranquility. If you recall that's where Atlas spent their time researching the silver eyed warriors we've all heard so much about. It's a graveyard that was sealed by order of the General. The first thing Salem did once she was rid of him was to undo the seal and build a room in the back. Ever since then she holes herself up in that room when she can, and she talks to someone" he continued. Turning around abruptly he held his arms out to his sides shrugging his shoulders.

"But who? For all I know, she's the only one in that room" he slowly began descending the stairs toward Cinder.

"Need I repeat myself about eavesdropping?" she asked.

"Not eavesdropping. Couldn't hear what they were saying. Dying to find out what it was though. You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?" he asked pointing at her raising his eyebrow curiously.

"I know I would very much like to focus on my own duties" she answered "As you should with yours" she added stepping past him "We need to prepare the new facility immediately. There's only eleven of us in the organization, we're going to need a few more hands on deck for what comes next. Grimm can't do everything themselves you know, they're just mindless beasts"

"What new facility?" he asked placing his hand on his chin tapping his finger thoughtfully; wracking his brain for the answer. Mercury's eyes lit up "Oh, you mean Mountain Glenn! What does Salem plan on doing with that place anyway?"

"She already shared her intentions with us" Cinder answered ascending the stairs.

"But did you know there's something she didn't share?" Mercury asked turning back to her as she stopped on the top step. Cinder didn't move waiting for him to continue.

"The Chamber Of Tranquility is part of a pair. The Chamber Of Awakening is the other. It was constructed by someone other than Salem herself" Mercury explained as Cinder turned to look at him intrigued "Another graveyard if you will... I don't know what it does or where it is, but I bet Salem does" he continued.

Cinder and Mercury stared at each other silently for a brief period, Cinder's expression changing to one of intrigue.

"Keep talking"

* * *

 **Mistral Safehouse: Present Day**

"Is he okay?" Ruby's voice could be heard, Slade stirred at the sound.

"I believe so. Slade overused his semblance in that last fight, his aura is heavily tied to his semblance as you know. Overuse causes his body to shut down" Ozpin explained.

"What about during the attack on Beacon? Slade used his semblance numerous times" Yang asked curiously.

"Slade's ability to teleport is one thing, he simply moves himself from one place to the next. Moving other things is slightly more taxing on account of him leashing his aura to the objects when he moves them. Similarly it's increasingly more difficult to move things he has yet to make contact with or cannot leash his aura to such as Cinder's fire weapons" he answered.

"Slade can teleport things without touching them?" Blake asked.

"Only if they're within his field of vision, the ability to transport things using his vision is what got him into this mess to begin with. He's gonna need to tone that back" Qrow explained.

"That's the one that sucks the most" Slade groaned opening his eyes as he slowly sat himself up. Ruby wrapped her arms around him excitedly.

"You're alright!" she yelled happily.

"I'm glad to see you too, Ruby" he smiled wrapping his arms around her.

"Mr. Stroud do you remember anything?" Ozpin asked as they separated.

"I remember leaving Haven before blacking out... I'm guessing that's what you guys were talking about. How long has it been?" he asked curiously.

"Almost five hours, it appears your semblance is quite taxing on your body when using your other abilities instead of just straight teleportation" he explained.

"Great. So I have that to look forward to from now on" he sighed.

"At least you're alive" Weiss replied shaking her head "You had us worried sick"

"Sorry" he rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly "Guess I was too careless"

"At least we know you're okay now" Pyrrha offered.

"Yeah! I would've killed you if you put us through your death again!" Nora yelled earning a laugh from the group.

"Do you remember your time at Beacon?" Ozpin asked.

"Most of it, there are still bits and pieces missing here and there but they seem to be coming back to me slowly" he answered.

"Excellent" he smiled "What about after the attack? Do you remember anything between your "Death" and your earliest memory afterward"

"No... nothing. Why?" he asked.

"I was hoping you'd have an answer as to how you're still alive, nothing save for Mr. Arc's Semblance could've healed you from so many grievous wounds"

"Sorry, wish I could help"

"What's the plan now, Professor? Salem knows Slade is alive and that we have the relic" Jaune asked.

"We need to leave" Qrow answered.

"We can't stay here in Mistral forever" Ren agreed.

"Just like that? What about all the people we captured? The ones that got away?" Blake asked.

"They're most likely back with Salem by now. But we know two of her followers are on their way to Atlas. We need to get this relic there as soon as possible" Ozpin explained.

"I already called Jimmy. He wouldn't pick up-"

"What about Winter?" Slade asked.

"Ice Queen?" Qrow asked "There is no way we're calling her. She hasn't even been filled in-"

"James filled her in not long after he left Vale" Ozpin corrected.

"You're joking"

"Guess it's time to call my sister then!" Weiss excitedly cheered.

"woohoo" Qrow spun his finger around in mock enthusiasm.

"Where's Torchwick?" Slade asked curiously.

"Answering all the police captain's questions. He wasn't fond of the idea of letting two known criminals come with us" Yang answered with a laugh.

"It's no less than he deserves" Blake pointed out.

"Gear up" Qrow called as he walked out of the room "We're getting a shuttle to Atlas as soon as possible so be ready to go when we say" he instructed.

"You got it boss!" Nora yelled sarcastically saluting him earning a laugh from her friends while Ren shook his head exasperatedly.

"Professor?" Slade called stopping him from leaving as the others cleared out excluding his team.

"Yes, Slade?"

"What did Salem mean when she said my parents delayed the inevitable? My father only ever infiltrated bandit clans or gangs for you... right?" Slade asked.

Ozpin sighed "Your father was the best infiltrator I had Slade, but I promise you I never used him in my fight against Salem. I believed it too important he be around to raise you" Ozpin answered.

"So you have no idea what she meant by that?" he asked disappointed.

"Unfortunately, I don't. You will be the first to know if I learn anything" he promised genuinely.

"Thank you, Professor" he smiled.

* * *

"Slade Stroud... ever a thorn in my side" Salem growled, Mercury and Emerald cowered back a bit at her attitude "Cinder failed me again of course... I'm beginning to think I work with imbeciles" she added causing Emerald to grit her teeth stopping herself from saying anything.

"You promised me Haven and Beacon would be destroyed, somehow they are both still standing" Adam seethed in anger.

"I gave you ample opportunity for both Mr. Taurus. You've failed to ensure victory on both accounts just as Cinder has. Why should I help either of you?"

"Either?" Emerald asked curiously.

"Cinder is alive" she answered shocking the group.

"How?" Mercury asked.

"I saved her from Raven's trick, if I hadn't; the only thing left of her would be melted shards of ice right now" she answered.

"Arthur and Tyrian have arrived in Atlas, your grace. They're ready to act whenever you give the order" Hazel announced reading the message from his scroll.

"Ozpin will try taking the relic there, tell them to prepare our strike but not to act on it yet, recall Tyrian once he has finished his part"

"Yes, master... but what about the maiden? We're going to need her to open the vault"

"The pursuer has already delivered me with both the Winter and Summer maidens, Hazel" she grinned "Raven is no longer a concern for now. Once we obtain all off the relics we shall hunt her once more" she explained.

"Of course"

"How was someone able to defeat a maiden on their own?" Mercury asked curiously. Salem chuckled darkly.

"I created him not long after my... unfortunate accident" she answered "My Pursuer is completely immune to Ozpin's magic, he is able to absorb energy from any attack, be it dust, a Semblance, or magic such as Ozpin's" she explained.

"That's how it was able to easily hunt down two of the maidens, and how we located Amber for Cinder to claim her power" Hazel added.

Cinder will be getting their power as well then?" Emerald asked.

"Indeed, once I have properly punished her for her failure to deliver the relic to me" Salem answered.

"What shall we do about Slade?" Hazel asked.

"Send the pursuer after Ozpin's group. We need to obtain that relic before they're able to use it. Ensure that he knows I want Ruby Rose alive... and Slade dead"

"It will be done" he bowed his head then turned to leave the room.

"Where is Cinder?" Emerald asked concerned.

"She's resting right now, once she's awakened I shall have a word with her. You'd best get back to your duties before I decided you're unnecessary" she warned.

"Yes, ma'am" Mercury bowed fearfully leading Emerald out of the room.

"As for you Taurus. I want you to be prepared for our strike against Atlas. You may not have the White Fang anymore but your usefulness to me has yet to end"

"What do you need?" he asked with a grin.

* * *

"This is what we're flying in?" Slade asked as they approached a large shuttle.

"It's total junk" Sun agreed.

"It's the most civilian transport Winter was able to procure us, she is reporting our arrival to Atlas to Ironwood after we have entered their borders" Ozpin explained.

"She's only helping us because we have her sister with us. She would've ignored us otherwise" Qrow explained.

"Even knowing we have the relic?" Ruby asked.

"She wouldn't have allowed us inside without Ironwood's permission. Now we don't need it to get inside" Qrow smirked.

"I love it!" Nora yelled excitedly.

"You're always so happy about the little things" Pyrrha laughed.

"Good way to live" Slade chuckled as Nora glared at Pyrrha.

"Let's go already, we've wasted enough time as it is!" Weiss yelled quickly packing her bag into the shuttle.

"She's right, Salem isn't going to sit on her hands for long, especially if she's already planning an attack on the school" Roman explained stepping aboard then helping Neo up with him.

"I still don't trust you" Blake warned getting on next to him.

"If you did I wouldn't still be here. I don't work with amateurs" he replied with a wink, Blake scoffed in response.

Slade got onto the ship then extended his hand out to Ruby pulling her up inside "Thank you" she smiled kissing him on the cheek.

"Anything for you, milady" he bowed earning a laugh from her and Yang. Weiss rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless as Blake grinned happy to see them together. Once everyone was aboard they took off heading straight for Atlas territory.

"Have you figured out what triggered his memory?" Qrow asked quietly.

"According to him, his mind was being flooded with images from his past he couldn't remember; when his body started to buckle from overuse of his Semblance. Ruby caught him concerned for his well being, that was when memories of them together came to him. This apparently called back all sorts of memories from his time at my school " Ozpin explained.

"He said he doesn't remember everything yet" Qrow sighed.

"He will, in time. For now we should just be happy he's back to his old self" Ozpin smiled.

"Guess that's true"

"I know you want to ask me something, Qrow. You don't need to tiptoe around the subject"

"You called him in. You really think it's a good idea for him to come along?"

"He's one of my best Huntsmen and your friend might I add. I don't think I'm making a mistake calling him in for this"

"He's not going to like Slade and pipsqueak being so close together" he sighed.

"He will have to get used to it. They're just like he was at their age"

"That's what'll worry him" he sighed.

"Professor?" Yang asked gaining their attention.

"Yes, Yang?"

"What's the plan for when we get to Atlas?" she asked curiously.

"You haven't exactly told us anything" Slade added.

"Well... once we reach the city, we're going to place the relic somewhere safe so no one can steal it from us. Afterward we need to hunt down the members of Salem's organization in the city. They're sure to be planning something to take down the school"

"That's it?" Slade asked.

"Hoping for something more, Mr. Stroud?"

"There's still so much we don't know. We need to learn how to stop Salem for good, we need to find her hideout, we need to know who all the maidens are so we can make sure they aren't kidnapped"

"Where exactly do you plan on starting?" Ozpin asked.

"Maybe if we knew more about Salem we could find a place to begin our search" Ruby offered.

"It would take hours for me to tell you everything there is to know about Salem" Ozpin explained.

"Do you know where she is?"

"I do. But I lack a way of getting there... the entrance is hidden"

"Hidden? What's that mean-" Nora began to ask when suddenly the ship threw them on their backs as it rocked violently, a loud scrapping noise was heard briefly followed by a blood chilling screech.

"What was that?" Jaune asked concerned.

"ALL HANDS, BRACE FOR IMPACT! I REPEAT-" the pilot yelled through the P.A. system just before they crashed into the ground.

"Everyone alright?" Ozpin asked standing up checking over the group.

"What was that? Grimm?" Blake asked equipping her blade.

"Not any Grimm I've ever heard" Qrow replied following suit.

"Alright, rides over" Yang smashed her fist into the bay door blasting it off through the air embedding itself in a nearby tree. Slade followed her out of the ship looking around cautiously with his pistol in hand. Ruby and Qrow led the rest of the group outside watching for anything to attack them, weapons drawn.

"I think we're clear" Pyrrha announced lowering her rifle.

"Did we hit something?" Weiss asked confused.

"No, something hit us" Sun answered.

"Pilot is dead" Ozpin said exiting the shuttle "What've we got?" he asked looking toward the wrecked ship.

"My scroll says we're in Atlas but I don't know where exactly-" Ren began.

"I know where we are" Slade sighed.

"Where?" Ruby asked, he pointed to a nearby sign by the road.

"That's the town where my parents were killed by Grimm" he answered.

"Slade-" Qrow began looking away dejectedly.

"Look out!" Slade tackled him out of the way as a massive claymore twice the size of Qrow embedded itself into the ground where he previously stood. Shortly after a large armored figure landed behind the blade. Standing up straight it was clear he was around twelve feet tall wearing large black armor, skulls carved into grooves over the entire armor. Looking up at them the small opening in his mask was pitch black, suddenly it ignited a red flare within a black aura emanating off the large creature. On his back was a weathered circular shield the size of his chest.

"What the hell is that?" Yang asked in shock.

"I've never seen it before" Qrow answered.

"I knew it" Roman sighed.

The creature screeched loudly as it removed it's large blade from the ground with ease placing the shield in front of his chest with his other arm, hovering above the ground it started growling. it's head began searching through the group of them stopping momentarily on select members then continuing on.

"What's it doing?" Ruby asked.

"Finding it's target" Roman answered as it ended it's search on Slade. The creature's blade turned a dark red as it turned toward him.

"I think I know who the target is!" Slade said rolling under the blade as it thrust toward his chest.

"We aren't going to let it have you!" Nora yelled slamming her hammer into it's shield, suddenly Nora was thrown back by the force of her own attack rolling to a stop as Ren caught her.

"What was that?" Jaune asked confused.

"Be careful! It's shield is able to redirect attacks. The armor is able to absorb semblances and use them against you as well as my magic" Ozpin explained.

"How do you know that?" Pyrrha asked.

"This is one of Salem's creations, she made it specifically to hunt the maidens, but has used it for eliminating particularly powerful Huntsmen threatening her plans" he answered.

"In other words, Slade" Ruby realized looking at him concerned as he continued to stave off it's attacks.

"I knew I would end up going against this thing sooner or later when I turned my back on the Organization. I was just hoping it would be later" Roman sighed, Neo nodded her head in agreement; a fearful look on her face.

"Everyone be careful of it's blade. Should it strike you, you will lose your soul" Ozpin announced.

"Our soul? Isn't that what connects us to our Aura?" Jaune asked.

"Precisely. That will instantly kill you if you are harmed by it"

"So what do we do?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"The only way to defeat it is to hit it with an attack it cannot absorb. Something that isn't a Semblance or my magic" he answered

"Like dust?" Weiss asked.

"So long as you avoid the shield, that should work. You'll need to hit it with something very powerful. It won't go down easy"

"I've got just the thing" Weiss grinned as she began to use her summoning semblance.

"Stop! The Pursuer will only turn it against you!" he warned stopping her.

Slade jumped onto the blade balancing himself just out of it's reach "Not to rush you guys, but this thing isn't going to keep missing forever" he called flipping backward off the blade as he slammed it into a nearby tree. Ducking under the blade onto his back he barely managed to avoid the attack, it's shield was suddenly above him prepared to slam down onto his chest. Weiss used a glyph to launch Slade back away from the Pursuer narrowly avoiding the strike.

"Thank you!" he called ducking under the blade once more.

"We've gotta help him!" Sun yelled.

"Jumping in without a plan won't help anyone. You need to properly think this through before striking" Qrow explained stepping in front of Sun stopping him from attacking.

"So what, we just watch until we find an opening?" Blake asked.

"Well... yes" Pyrrha answered. Yang clenched her teeth together in anger not enjoying her helplessness.

"Nora, launcher!" Slade yelled as the Pursuer charged toward him.

"On it!" she yelled transforming her hammer into it's launcher form, Nora grinned firing into it's chest several times stopping it in it's tracks; it used it's shield to block the next blast growling at her. Yang noticed an opening firing her gauntlet for it's arm with the shield in it's hand it's arm reeled back from the blast giving Slade his opening. Slade quickly approached it climbing up it's armor in one swift movement placing his left foot onto it's knee and his right on it's arm pushing off onto a nearby tree branch drawing his pistol as he caught himself on the tree.

Twisting around he fired at the Pursuer's face two bullets penetrating it's helmet causing it to roar as it slashed the tree. Slade flipped over it's back firing three more bullets before he landed on the ground. Placing both hands onto the gun he fired four more bullets stopping once the gun clicked indicating it was empty. The Pursuer twisted around swinging his blade for Slade.

Slade twisted his body downward into a crouching position as the blade passed over him, the Pursuer roared pulling it's arm back around for a lower swing. Slade flipped sideways over the blade, the Pursuer smacked him in the chest using his shield knocking Slade onto his back as it spun it's blade around; roaring as it stabbed the blade into the ground as Slade pushed himself back separating his legs to avoid the blade.

"We're gonna have to help him sooner or later" Ruby said worried.

"He's not going to be able to keep up with it forever, he still hasn't fully recovered yet" Ren agreed.

Slade pulled his legs back tucking them against the blade he pushed off it sliding away from his attacker using his hands to roll to his feet. The Pursuer placed it's shield in front of itself unleashing a powerful blast of energy it absorbed from Nora's earlier attacks throwing Slade through the air over the group.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled.

"I've got him!" Roman announced launching the handle of his cane toward Slade. Catching it with his hand he swung back around headed straight for the Pursuer, releasing the cane as he came closer he smashed his fist into it's face then rolled on the ground beside it as Roman's cane retracted. Slade stood back up watching as the Pursuer slowly turned it's head back around to face him growling menacingly.

"Great" Slade sighed annoyed.

The Pursuer screeched, attempting to impale Slade on it's blade it ended up missing as he jumped onto the tip of the blade slamming his fist down onto it forcing the blade to the ground. The Pursuer growled, glaring at Slade. Unsheathing his own blade, Slade performed a powerful uppercut with the blade flipping backward. The Pursuer lost it's grip on the blade flying back through the air.

"That's our opening! Fire!" Qrow yelled firing his blade at it shortly followed by everyone else using their long range attacks. The Pursuer shrugged off most of the attacks but was thrown to the ground by Yang and Roman's explosive shells and Nora's grenades. It remained motionless on the ground as the group carefully approached it.

"Did we get it?" Ruby asked.

"I doubt it" Roman sighed lowering his cane. The pursuer slowly stood up radiating powerful energy from it.

"No" Ozpin answered with a sigh "We just made it stronger"

"Stronger? What're you talking about?" Yang asked.

"I wondered why none of the Huntsmen who encountered him were able to survive... it's because he cannot be killed" Roman explained tapping his finger on his chin thoughtfully.

"What's that supposed to mean? How can we defeat him?" Blake asked concerned, Neo shrugged uncertain.

"It doesn't have to die, it just has to stop moving!" Nora yelled leaping toward it smashing her hammer into it's back throwing it into the ground. Firing it she smashed him further through the ground cracking the earth around her with the shockwave.

"Go, Nora!" Jaune cheered. The Pursuer's arm came up from the ground grabbing Nora by her face, it stood turning toward the group.

"Pyrrha! Ruby! I need your help" Slade called.

"For what?" Ruby asked.

"I've got a plan, just get Nora away from it first" he answered.

Pyrrha threw her shield into it's hand causing it to drop Nora, turning it's attention on Ruby as she struck it with her scythe it prepared to strike then stopped when it noticed who it was. Ignoring Ruby it approached Pyrrha.

"What's the plan?" Pyrrha asked concerned as it edged closer to them.

"Use your semblance now, immobilize it!" he yelled. Holding her hands out toward the Pursuer it froze in place unable to move due to it's metal armor. Suddenly it's blade began floating in the air in front of it's chest.

"How is it doing that?" Jaune asked as it leveled out directed at Pyrrha.

"Because it absorbed her semblance and is now using it to it's advantage" Slade answered.

"How does that help us kill it?!" Weiss yelled annoyed. The Pursuer's blade launched toward Pyrrha as she yelled.

"Like this" he answered as Jaune stepped between them with his shield up. Slade's pupils expanded dramatically; the blade disappeared as it approached them.

"Now it's blade is gone, I'm not understanding why you-" Ren began, stopping once he saw the blade reappear behind the Pursuer, it twisted around to the blade. Raising it's shield it was unable to block the attack as it pierced the shield stopping once it had embedded itself through it's chest. Everyone stared in silent amazement at what had transpired. Slade dropped onto one knee panting exhaustedly; the Pursuer screeched in agony raising it's head to the sky then stopped suddenly, it's entire body twitching out of control coming to a halt. The Pursuer slowly began to dissolve away in front of them until there was nothing left of it, not even the blade.

"Slade... you killed it" Ozpin stared in shock, his mouth hanging agape "How did you know that would work?"

"It was using it's aura to defend itself from my attacks. That's when I realized Salem must've created the creature using a soul from on of her previous victims. I simply used it's blade against it" he explained slumping onto his back exhaustedly.

"You okay, kid?" Qrow asked.

"Using my eyesight as a focal point for my semblance is very exhausting, it's nothing like creating one through contact" he explained.

"We should keep moving" Yang pointed out.

"Yang's right, someone's bound to have heard that ship crash and our fight with that beast didn't help. We need to keep moving so we can get to Atlas before Ironwood finds us" Blake agreed.

"Winter would be in a lot of trouble if he did" Weiss sighed.

"Can you walk?" Ruby asked helping him up.

"I'm fine" he took one step forward and dropped down again, Ruby catching him on her shoulder "Correction: I am not fine" he chuckled.

"Let me take him. I can find us a spot to rest before moving on with Bumblebee, you guys should start heading to Atlas" Yang offered taking him onto her shoulder from Ruby.

"Separating is not a good idea" Ozpin said.

"Would you rather we all walk to Atlas? I'm not leaving my baby behind" she replied.

"You won't have to" Slade said "I can hold onto it until we get to Atlas"

"Hold onto it?" she asked confused.

"Same way I store things for fights" he answered. Yang's mouth formed an O, understanding his meaning.

"We can trade off carrying him" Qrow offered.

"As long as we stop wasting time I'm fine with anything. I don't plan on getting caught before we explain our situation to the General" Roman said turning toward the direction of Atlas. Neo placed her hand in his as they walked smiling up at him reassuringly.

* * *

Salem sat silently overlooking the wasteland around her from her window. Looking up into the mirror nearby she noticed Cinder's presence behind her "You're finally awake"

"Emerald said you wanted to see me?" she asked cautiously.

"You have nothing to be concerned about, my dear Cinder. I was angry you failed me... but now I know why you failed" Salem explained turning toward her.

"So... you're not going to punish me?"

"Not for your failure to kill the boy" she answered holding her hand up as if grabbing something in it, Cinder suddenly began floating in the air, her hands slowly hovering over to Salem helplessly "Your failure to secure the relic on the other hand must be punished" she added as Cinder struggled to breathe. Salem created a small black orb the size of her eye in her right hand placing it over Cinder's missing eye. Cinder began screaming in pain unable to move away from the orb, dropping onto her knees as the pain subsided her hand went up to hold her face in pain.

"Now I can see the world through your eye as well" she smiled as Cinder realized her left eye was replaced by a much darker version of an eye. Salem placed two fingers onto her left eyelid closing her eye and seeing herself through Cinder's new eye "Excellent vision as well" she laughed.

"You punished me by giving me a new eye?" she asked looking at herself in the mirror; her new eye was a bright purple with her iris a significantly darker shade and a red pupil.

"The pain was a punishment. The eye was a gift, sort of an apology on my part for sending you against the boy" she explained.

"Apology? I don't understand"

"Slade Stroud... I knew I recognized that name but it was not always his name that I knew. It was another"

"Another?"

"Yes" she paused collecting her thoughts "The Pursuer is dead"

"What? That's impossible-"

"Apparently not... Slade found a way"

"No..."

"That is why I now know pitting you against the boy was unfair, he's a problem I'm going to have to handle myself" she continued with a grin slowly spreading across her face "I haven't had an adversary worth noticing personally in a long time"

"You believe he is powerful enough to warrant your personal attention?" she asked.

"Slade was strong enough to defeat my Pursuer... something powerful enough to defeat two maidens on it's own"

"That's how we obtained Winter and Summer?" Cinder asked surprised, Salem nodded in response "I suppose I understand your reasoning behind wishing to handle him personally"

"You shall be taking their powers for your own so you stand a better chance at defeating Ozpin next time you meet, Raven's powers will come in time"

"Thank you, Master" Cinder bowed her head.

"Do you know why I continue to spend my time in the Chamber Of Tranquility?" Salem asked curiously.

"I know you talk to someone down there, but I don't see-"

"Good. Then soon you are prepared for the truth"

"The truth?" Cinder asked confused.

"You remember the story Tyrion told, do you not? Two Huntsmen infiltrated my domain and attempted to kill me and my servants"

"I know the tale"

"But did you know there was something he didn't tell you? Something I haven't told anyone since the day it happened"

"What is it?"

"Something Ozpin has yet to learn about me, something I plan to keep that way"

"Master I'm not sure I understand, speak plainly please"

"Let me start at the beginning..."


	21. Atlas Academy

**I apologize for taking so long to update, I have been suffering from a bad case of writer's block. The next few chapters might take me longer to get out than I have been, but I promise I will try and update as much as possible! Anyway thank you guys for all of your support and patience, I hope you enjoy reading!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Twenty: Atlas Academy**

Slade awoke gasping for breath, looking around worriedly he found Ruby sitting up next to him; concern written across her features.

"Are you alright?" she asked as he sighed in relief.

"I'm fine... just another nightmare" he answered.

"You seem to be having those a lot lately"

"It's the same one" he replied shaking his head.

"From during the attack?" she asked.

"No... that stopped shortly after we were reunited in Mistral for whatever reason. This one I've been experiencing since then has been some dark destroyed version of our world, Beacon crumbling around me, then Atlas, Haven, and Shade follow shortly afterward, with everyone we know from each school dead around me. It ends once Salem's dark eyes appear in the sky" he explained.

"That's horrible" she wrapped him into a comforting hug, Slade returned the hug rubbing her back comfortingly.

"I'll be fine, Ruby. I promise"

"Everything alright?" Qrow asked approaching them.

"Slade had another nightmare" Ruby answered.

"You alright?" he asked concerned.

"I'm fine, I just need some fresh air" he answered standing up from the bedroll.

"Want me to come with you?" Ruby asked.

"No, I'm fine. You should get some rest" he smiled kissing her forehead before turning to leave "There's a pond just a short way east, I'll be back soon"

"Don't go too far" Qrow called after him, Slade waved his hand dismissively.

"Is he gonna be okay, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked worriedly. Qrow sighed deeply, looking away slightly.

"He's been through a lot recently, I'm sure he'll be fine... but for now he has to sort through some things. We're gonna have to be understanding and help him when needed" he answered smirking at her "What're friends for?"

"Absolutely" Ruby smiled nodding determinedly.

Slade arrived at the pond after about a minute of walking, he could still see the camp from the top of the small hill he climbed. Looking up he saw a small Raven sitting on one of the rocks around the pond, he sighed shaking his head annoyed. Unsheathing his blade he struck for the Raven as it transformed blocking with her own blade, Raven placed her hand onto his shoulder pulling herself over him as he slashed for her chest again, rolling off his back she twisted around finding the barrel of his pistol staring back at her.

"What do you want?" Slade asked, Raven sat down calmly on a rock beside the pond.

"Awful rude way to greet family"

"Being related to Yang and Qrow doesn't make you family. Especially after that fiasco at Haven" Slade shot back darkly.

"Touchy... Well if that's how you're going to be maybe I should just go" she stood up from the rock.

"Out with it already, I'm in no mood to play games with you, Raven; say what you've come to say or leave before I put a bullet in your head for annoying me" Slade growled.

"Alright, alright, I get it" she placed her hands up in surrender "I'm here to talk to you about Ozpin"

"This again? Didn't you bother us enough the first time?" Slade asked lowering his pistol.

"I didn't give you all the details last time, remember? You went off with Qrow"

"Still better than sticking around with you" he spat crossing his arms.

"Maybe... but at least I'm upfront with you about things, I don't pretend to be a good person. Not like Ozpin"

"Ozpin is a good man, Raven. Maybe he's not perfect but who is?" Slade defended.

"Does a good man keep things from his friends? Does a good man send others to die while hiding away in his ivory tower? Does a good man involve children in something he, himself hasn't been able to solve for over a thousand years?" Raven asked.

"What is it that Ozpin is keeping from us then?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

"Ozpin knows more about Salem than he's letting on. He knows who she was before she became master of the Grimm and how she became the way she is today" Raven explained.

"And? How does this help us defeat her? Is there something you know that can help stop her?"

"There is no stopping Salem! I've told you that already; weren't you listening!" she struggled to hide her frustration "Ozpin is just using you all to prolong his war with Salem. His; not ours" she emphasized.

"No one is unstoppable, Raven. Everyone can be beaten given the proper opportunity"

"Even if Salem could be stopped, do you really think using the same methods that haven't worked for the past thousand years is going to get you anywhere?" Raven asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Ozpin chooses select teams of students and personally oversees their training through the school as I told you before, but then he sends them off on some quest to save the world from Salem only for all of them to end up dead at best. I discovered this and decided for myself, I refused to be Ozpin's sacrifice. The more he lies and hides the truth the more hatred he breeds. Why do you think Hazel is so desperate to kill him? Why do you think so many people who find out the truth side with Salem? Because she may be an evil Grimm god trying to destroy humanity... but she's never acted like anything else" Raven ranted.

"Is that what he did with your team?" Slade asked.

"He tried to, until I left shortly after giving birth to Yang. As much as I wanted to take her with me, I knew Tai would never stop looking for me if I did... Yang had to seek me out on her own" she answered.

"Qrow and Taiyang... Summer. Did they know about this too?" Slade asked.

"They all decided it was a necessary sacrifice, they were glad to give their lives to protect others. Not me"

"Perhaps that should tell you something"

"What do you mean?"

"You left Ozpin and rejoined bandits that routinely hurt and kill people to get what they want. Can you not see how similar that is to what Salem's doing?"

"I chose to go back so I could live on my own terms, not Ozpin's"

"Everyone here with me is living on their own terms. Ozpin couldn't force any of us to be here even if he wanted to. Regardless; he left the choice up to us if we stayed or not"

"So you all decided to stay... how sweet you all are" she rolled her eyes.

"You may not agree with our decision, but don't try and make us regret it. The world is going to be destroyed if someone doesn't stop Salem for good, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not in our lifetime... but someday Salem is going to accomplish her goal unless someone stops her"

"And what? You believe you're the ones to do it? Wake up!"

"You never know until you try"

"You sound just like Summer" she groaned shaking her head "The only place you'll end up fighting Salem is six feet under"

"What makes you so certain she cannot be stopped? No one is so powerful they cannot be killed"

"Salem is... Ozpin's tried killing her before you know. No matter how many times she's been killed she always returns somehow" Raven explained.

"So you just gave up and ran home to a bunch of scum seeking to hurt innocents?" Slade asked leaning back against a tree.

"I chose to live my own life. I may die one day but it will be fighting for what I chose to fight for, not Ozpin-"

"Ozpin doesn't make choices for people, Raven. Summer made the choice to fight and die fighting the Grimm just as much as my father did"

"You don't know the first thing about what happened to either of them" she growled.

"And you don't know the first thing about Yang!" Slade shot back.

"How dare you!"

"No, how dare you! Raven, if you truly cared about Yang you'd be here helping her. Instead you try and convince her she's wrong, when that doesn't work you try and convince me so I can convince her myself. Nothing you try is going to work"

"Then I have done all that I could" she sighed dejectedly.

"You've done all you're willing to do" Slade corrected. Raven glared at him.

"Are you going to allow me to leave? Or do you plan on killing me?" Slade remained silent while he weighed his options, his hand hovered over the hilt of his blade.

"Leave, I don't ever want to see your face again" Raven smirked.

"Thank you, Slade-"

"Thank Yang. She's the only reason I didn't pull the trigger when you came here" Raven's face changed to one of shock.

"Why?"

"Because as much as you've hurt her, Raven. You're still her mother, and that matters to her... Summer is the only one deserving of the title for Yang but she still holds out hope that you'll change one day" he sighed shaking his head "I'm just disappointed that you're going to let her down" he turned heading back toward camp. Stopping after a few steps he turned around to find Raven vanished, he sighed once more continuing on toward camp.

As Slade reentered the camp he noticed something felt off, his hand hovered over his blade as he looked around cautiously. Qrow noticed this and nodded toward him, quickly unsheathing their blades simultaneously they pointed them in the direction of the intruder.

"Come out, with your hands where I can see them" Qrow ordered. A shadowy figure raised her hands into the air stepping out from behinds a large bush; stepping into the light she smiled lightly at them.

"Glad to see you're both alive and well" Winter greeted.

"Winter?" Qrow asked causing Weiss to stir at the name.

"Where?" she asked standing up noticing her sister in front of her, she grabbed Winter into a hug smiling brightly "I'm so glad to see you"

"I'm pleased to see you well" Winter returned the hug hesitantly "Is this hugging a normal thing for you people?" she asked confused.

"Something you'll get used to" Slade chuckled sheathing his blade.

"What brings you here Ms. Schnee? I wasn't aware you would be meeting us before we arrived in the city" Ozpin asked curiously as Qrow began waking the rest of the group.

"I was informed of a shuttle crash not far out of an abandoned village, I alerted General Ironwood to the situation barring your involvement. I told him it was a transport I lined up for my sister who had been coming from Mistral. Let's just say he had many questions" she explained "I arrived at the crash site to find signs of battle and tracks leading here. I'm pleased to you're all faring well" she finished.

"James doesn't know about the rest of us then?" Ozpin asked.

"No, Professor. I thought given the circumstances you should be the one to inform him of your presence in Atlas" she answered.

"Excellent, I will speak with him when you report to him"

"I can always wait until we arrive in the city" she smiled.

"Don't you have to report back to him now that you've found us?" Qrow asked.

"Not if I deem this an emergency. Knowing that you have the relic from Haven, I believe he will come around to my way of thinking" she assured.

"I'm starting to like your sister" Slade laughed lightly, Ruby groggily approached the group being the last to be awoken. She groaned lightly into Slade's shoulder not wishing to move anymore.

"Come now, Ms. Rose. We have places to be" Winter ordered gaining no response in return.

"I've got her" Slade replied picking her up bridal style, Ruby leaned her head into his chest smiling contently as she continued to sleep.

"Coddling won't do her any good, Mr. Stroud. She's going to have to learn to act like a Huntress someday" Winter sighed.

"She's already more of a Huntress than many I have met. You'll see, she can surprise you if you're not careful" Qrow laughed.

"I sincerely doubt that, even more so now that you've said it" Qrow pointed at himself in mock disbelief.

"Ruby's unimposing form allows her an advantage over her opponents" Slade said regaining her attention.

"What kind of advantage?" she asked curiously.

"When someone's expectations are low, they're easy to take by surprise" he answered smiling down at Ruby.

"You sound like you speak from experience"

"I do... though not in terms of her fighting ability" he replied.

"So there's two Ice Queen's? Here I thought we had enough fun with just one" Roman yawned sarcastically earning a laugh from most of the group. Winter and Weiss narrowed their eyes at him. Blake struggled not to laugh at his comment.

"Roman Torchwick and his accomplice Neapolitan. What're they doing here?" Winter asked gritting her teeth "You're supposed to be on our side and you bring two well known criminals into our kingdom-"

"They're not as bad as you think, Winter" Weiss defended surprising many people present "Well, Roman is, but Neo is really nice; even though she's mute" Neo offered two thumbs up while Roman rolled his eyes.

"How do you know?" Winter asked.

"They've helped us against Cinder in Haven when they didn't have to. They could've just stayed with her and helped destroy the school and try and kill us again. Without them we wouldn't have been able to recover the relic" Weiss explained. Winter looked unconvinced but sighed reluctantly.

"Fine, you can come along. But I'm warning you; one wrong move and I'll remove your heads from your shoulders before you have the chance to draw your weapons" she growled.

"We'll be the perfect guests" he winked removing his hat, bowing with a flourish of his hand holding the hat.

"I sincerely doubt that" Winter scoffed.

* * *

General Ironwood sat at his desk looking over the reports on his desk, he sighed placing his face in his hands. The was a crisp knock at the door gaining his attention as he straightened himself out.

"Come in" he ordered finding Winter to be on the other side of the automatic door, it closed behind her as she saluted.

"General" she greeted.

"Specialist. Do you have something to report"

"Yes, sir. I found the crashed ship you sent me to investigate"

"What have you found"

"I found signs of a battle, sir. Nearby tacks led me the passengers of the ship camping out in the forest... I believe it best if I show you what I found" she walked over to the door inputting the code forcing it to stay open.

"Schnee I really don't see-" Ironwood stopped upon seeing Ozpin's face smiling at him from the doorway.

"James, it's good to see you again"

"Oz? What are you doing here?" he asked standing from his desk.

"You wouldn't pick up our calls so we came in person" he answered.

"We?" Ironwood asked just as the group entered the room.

"He means us, General" Slade chuckled from behind him causing Ironwood to leap over his desk reaching instinctively for his pistol.

"Slade?" he asked confused. Using his metal arm he picked Slade up by the throat "I know you died during the attack on Beacon, you cannot fool me with your tricks"

Slade mimicked his movement grabbing Ironwood by the throat as well "This isn't the most comfortable way to have a conversation" he choked out smirking.

"Relax, Jimmy. That's really him" Qrow chuckled. Ironwood reluctantly released him as Slade did the same, he rubbed his throat before he spoke.

"Apologies... I have been under a great deal of stress lately, sometimes I don't know what to believe"

"I'll forgive you, this time" Slade replied moving to rejoin the group. Ruby started checking him over much to his protest, the others laughed at the sight.

"Should we get down to business then?" Ironwood asked "Thank you for bringing them here, although I was under the impression your sister was the only passenger you lined up" he added to Winter, she saluted in response.

"No thanks necessary, sir"

"What brings you all to Atlas? Vale doesn't require our assistance again does it?" he asked concerned.

"No, James. We've come to bring Knowledge here for safe keeping" Ozpin explained.

"Knowledge? What kind-" he stopped upon seeing the relic Ozpin produced from his bag "What the hell are you thinking, Ozpin!? You brought a relic here?"

"Salem made an attempt on it back in Mistral along with destroying the school same as she did in Vale. Thankfully we were able to thwart her plans once again even preventing her from gaining the Spring Maiden's power for Cinder"

"What happened to Leonardo?" Ironwood asked. Ozpin sighed looking down dejectedly.

"He's dead, Jimmy. Leo was working with Salem... she didn't take his failure too well" Qrow answered.

"I see, that's why you brought the relic here... Why didn't you bring it to Vale?" he asked curiously.

"Vale is still recovering from the attack several weeks ago. Salem isn't going to wait for us to be ready before she makes her next move. Atlas is the most well defended city in the world as of right now. We cannot allow the relics to fall into Salem's hands" Ozpin explained.

"It's not going to do you much good, Oz. My latest reports say the Winter Maiden has been captured"

"Salem?" Ozpin asked.

"That is the prime suspect but it's possible someone else is behind the abduction. Reports from the local law enforcement state she was attacked by a large knight in black armor with a large glowing sword" he explained.

Slade narrowed his eyes at Ironwood "When did you receive these reports?"

"Last night just before I went home for the night. It sounds similar to a legend I once heard when I was a boy, but it's likely just a coincidence"

"It's no coincidence, General. That story is true" Roman said stepping out from behind the group, much to Neo's protest.

"Roman Torchwick" he growled "What the hell is he doing here?" he asked struggling to remain calm.

"Believe it or not, he's actually on our side" Ozpin answered.

"Ridiculous! There's no way you can trust him-"

"Roman has more than earned his place here" Slade defended stepping in front of him glaring at Ironwood "I know he aided our enemy in the past, but he only did so out of fear like Leonardo did. You cannot blame someone for that" Yang and Ruby joined him in front of Torchwick, shortly followed by Weiss.

"He was trying to save his own skin! It's all he cares about-"

"Roman is fully aware he is likely to die in the coming days, General. He isn't here to save himself... he's here to protect her" Slade interjected gesturing to Neo behind him. Neo hid herself behind Roman.

"You cannot possibly expect me to believe he's going to just hand himself over once everything is over if he survives"

"Believe what you will, General" Roman shrugged "I honestly couldn't care what you're willing to believe about me. If it were up to me I wouldn't be involved in this at all, but when someone offers you a choice of living or dying and can back up that offer. I chose living... I changed my mind about what I was doing not long before the attack on Vale but at that point I thought I was in too deep to get back out"

"What changed then?" Ironwood asked.

"Slade saved my life" he answered.

"You what?" Ironwood looked at Slade in disbelief.

"Aboard your airship during the attack, Slade fought with Neo and I while we attempted to kill Red here" he pointed to Ruby "Grimm attacked me while I was beating her into the ground when he pushed me out of the way... It made me wonder if I was truly trapped with them, I decided I had a choice to make. I could either die destroying the world with Salem, or die trying to save it with Slade"

"What swayed your decision?"

"Only one of those scenarios played out with Neo having the possibility of surviving. Salem couldn't care less about any of us" Roman answered taking out a cigar.

"You truly believe he can be trusted?" Ironwood asked.

"I do" Ozpin answered with a small smile. Ironwood sighed with a small shake of his head.

"I better not live to regret this... Welcome to Atlas, Mr. Torchwick"

"Thank you General, I promise you won't regret accepting my help" he smirked lighting his cigar.

"There's something else we need to talk about, James"

"What is it?"

"Salem's followers have already infiltrated the city" Ironwood stood abruptly slamming his hands down onto his desk.

"What!? How!? Where are they hiding? Do you know their identities?"

"We only know of two of them in the city. Tyrian Callows and Dr. Arthur Watts"

"That's impossible! Dr. Watts hasn't left his office since the attack on Vale, he's a respected scientist and one of my top researchers"

"I have recorded evidence proving his allegiance to Salem" Ozpin replied holding up his scroll.

"Send it to me, I will review this evidence later. Winter, double the guard around the city and alert them to keep their eyes out for anything suspicious; anything at all, and make sure we have constant surveillance on Watts."

"Yes, General" Winter saluted turning on her heel to leave the room.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Ozpin. Without you I would've never known about these infiltrators"

"Think nothing of it James. I only ask you return the favor by allowing us to hold the relic here along with Creation"

"Of course. I'll see it safely locked away" he agreed "I believe I have a safehouse you can all stay in while you're here. If Salem is planning to attack Atlas next; we need all the help we can get"

"You can say that again" Slade sighed "Salem's sure to double the amount of forces she commits to this attack. Most likely planning on sabotaging our defenses somehow... Do you have any men defending the power supply for your automated defenses?" he asked curiously.

"They're under Watts office... I will see to it they're inspected for tampering and have guards on it around the clock"

"Good, we're also going to need anything you know about Watts, we don't want him surprising us"

"I'll pull up everything we have on him for you to look through"

"Excellent" Slade smiled as Winter reentered the office.

"Guard has been doubled, sir"

"Fantastic, please show them to the safehouse in town. They'll be staying there for the duration of their visit"

"Will do, sir" she saluted once more turning she led them out of the office. Ozpin remained in his place as they left.

"It's good to have him back" Ironwood sighed in relief.

"Slade has certainly proven himself time and time again. I'd be willing to bet he'll be able to stop this attack in it's tracks just like the previous two"

"I certainly hope so... I'm sorry about Winter, Ozpin. I wasn't able to keep her safe-"

"You have nothing to apologize for, James. Salem's hunter was a formidable enemy"

"You know for sure it was Salem?"

"Yes, James... it was her Pursuer" he answered. Ironwood's eyes bulged in shock.

"Torchwick was telling the truth then?"

"Indeed, it attacked our transport forcing us to crash. Slade was able to defeat it when none of our attacks harmed it. The Pursuer only became more powerful with every hit"

"How did Slade defeat it then?"

"Slade used it's own weapon against it" he smirked.

"Mr. Stroud just continues to impress... the more I get to know him the more I see his mother in him" he smiled.

"She was a unique woman, similar to his father" he laughed.

"His father certainly was... different"

"He was a better man than you give him credit-"

"I know, Oz. I just never knew him to be that person... he was always just a criminal to me. Guess everyone can change"

"Leonardo certainly did" Ozpin sighed.

"Have you filled them in yet?"

"Not everything..."

"Soon?"

"Very"

"Good. They're going to need to know everything if they're going to have a chance at stopping Salem"

"You believe they can stop Salem for good?" Ozpin asked.

"I don't know... no one has been able to do if before. Doesn't mean it can't be done"

"We'll be there every step of the way"

"Absolutely"

"Have they arrived yet?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"They?" Ironwood asked confused "Who's they?"

* * *

Slade walked at the back of the group as Winter led them through the city silently. The others conversed amongst themselves while Blake held back keeping pace with him.

"Hey" he waved noticing her fidgeting "Everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything is fine... just worried about my parents is all"

"They'll be fine, they're making their way to Vale as we speak to talk with the council right?" he asked trying to reassure her.

"Yes, Dad wants to form a political following to give the Faunus a voice in the world"

"Good for him, Faunus deserve a win for once"

"You can say that again" she groaned.

"So what's really bothering you? We haven't really talked since you returned" Slade asked raising his eyebrow questioningly. Blake sighed reluctant to answer.

"I... I've been trying to find the right time... to say I'm sorry"

"Sorry for what?" Slade asked confused.

"I ran away again, just like I always do when things get hard. I didn't even stay long enough to find out if you guys were alright, I thought you were dead"

"You ran away because you thought you were protecting us. I understand that more than you might think... Yang did the same thing, she just had less ground to cover" he chuckled lightly "Ironically if you hadn't left and gone to see your parents, you never would've been in Mistral during the attack and we might've lost"

"I... I guess that's true"

"You shouldn't feel guilty about running away, Blake. Everyone makes mistakes, sometimes they turn better than if we never made them at all... Just know that no matter what happens, we've got your back" he placed his hand onto her shoulder. They both looked ahead watching Jaune and Pyrrha walking hand in hand, her head resting on his shoulder as they walked.

"Are they?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, they finally told each other how they feel"

"I thought Jaune liked Weiss"

"That was more of a crush than anything else, he's happier with Pyrrha than he would've been with Weiss anyway" Blake giggled.

"Thank you, Slade"

"For what?" he asked.

"You're always there when we need you to be. Even when we don't know we need you"

"I don't know about that, I wasn't around after the attack"

"You didn't have your memory of Beacon, you would've had no reason to return there"

"I suppose that's true"

"We're here" Winter announced stopping the group "This is the safehouse you'll be staying in" she added gesturing to the large wooden house behind her as she turned.

"We're staying here?" Ren asked in surprise by the size of the house.

"Of course, you've got quite a large group" she answered.

"I like it" Roman grinned.

"Don't get any funny ideas while you're here Mr. Torchwick, you shall be under twenty-four hour surveillance" Winter narrowed her eyes.

"So long as it's surveillance and not guards. Neo and I enjoy our privacy" he wriggled his eyebrows causing Neo to blush from embarrassment punching him in the shoulder. Yang made a disgusted expression matching Weiss's and Winter's.

"On that cheery note, why don't we all get set up inside" Qrow suggested stepping ahead of the group.

"There's only five bedrooms" Winter called after him.

"Two beds per room?" he asked without turning around.

"Only for two of them"

"Excellent. JNPR can share one room while Yang and Weiss share the other room. Ruby and Slade will bunk together, Roman and Neo can handle their own affairs in the farthest room from all of us, and Blake and Sun can have the last room" Qrow divvied up between the group pointing to everyone collectively.

"What about you and Ozpin?" Slade asked.

"Oz will probably be spending more time with Ironwood than in the house anyway, I'll take the couch in the living room" he answered.

"Sounds good to me!" Roman agreed immediately.

"Excellent then I should be on my way" Winter turned to find Ozpin standing in front of her.

"Please, Ms. Schnee; stay awhile longer. You and Weiss should catch up"

"I would love to-"

"James has already told me to give you the rest of the day off to spend with your sister"

"Truly?" she asked surprised "That doesn't seem like the General at all"

"I asked him personally, he agreed on account of your father; we all know he'll find out Weiss is back in the city before long" Winter rolled her eyes relaxing slightly.

"That's going to be a fun day for all of us" she replied sarcastically.

"I'm looking forward to meeting your dad" Slade said looking to Weiss "He and I are going to have such fun talking" his tone turned dark as he cracked his knuckles.

"There's really no need for that, he's not going to be able to do anything about it anyway. I'm here on a mission" she smiled.

"Quite right, let's get set up inside. We'll figure out our next step in the morning when the others have arrived" Ozpin explained.

"Others?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, I called in some more Huntsmen for our mission. They're arriving tomorrow, figured we could use all the help we can get now that the Winter Maiden has been taken, her powers have likely already been transferred to Cinder or someone else working for Salem"

"Then we need to work fast, she's not going to want to wait if she knows we're in the city already" Slade pointed out.

"How would she know? We've only just got here?" Yang asked.

"CONSPIRACY!" Nora yelled.

"If Dr. Watts is truly working for this "Salem" then she very likely already knows you're here" Winter sighed.

* * *

"No way! It's too soon! You can't seriously expect me to get rid of him before the attack" Adam protested.

"It's an order. Why do you hesitate?" Cinder asked "You, who has been ruthless towards those who turned their backs on the White Fang" she continued.

"You cannot send me off into a city full of guards and expect me to kill one guy heavily guarded by Huntsmen, not to mention he's not exactly defenseless himself" Adam explained.

"If Slade remains alive he remains a threat to us all, he must be killed for us to be able to move forward with our plan. You will kill him, or you will face the consequences" Cinder ordered embedding a fire spear into the chair he sat in mere inches from his face; Adam didn't flinch.

Salem raised her hand to Cinder indicating her to let off "Adam is correct. Slade has proven himself powerful enough to defeat an unbeatable foe such as my Pursuer, he is far too powerful to take on alone. Be it from raw power, a brilliant mind or just dumb luck; Slade has survived everything we've thrown at him. Not many can claim that"

"Do my ears deceive me? Does he really hold that kind of power? He is nothing but a boy" Hazel asked surprised.

"You saw it yourself back in Haven" Cinder growled.

"Give him a chance" Mercury chuckled "Slade's straight as an arrow, he's pure of heart. Unlike all of us here" he gestured to the group.

"He'd better be worth all the trouble we're going through to kill him" Watts sighed relaxing into his chair.

"I truly hope he's enjoying himself on his adventure" Tyrian laughed "Perhaps he would like a hand to determine his fate?" he offered with a wicked grin.

"As long as it works in our favor, we can let him do what he wants for now. Then we'll all jump in if necessary" Emerald pointed out.

"Those are some bold words coming from you, Em" Mercury laughed "Are you saying you'll volunteer to take care of Slade if things go wrong?" he asked knowingly.

"What!? Me?" Emerald asked surprised "You've got the wrong girl, I'm not comfortable with that" she shook her hands in front of her face.

"You act as though you have a choice" Cinder turned toward her "When was the last time any of us was victorious against Slade?" she asked the room.

"Truer words were never spoken" Tyrian agreed "Well, I guess the fun is going to have to wait" he pouted.

"Perhaps we should do something about the girl, she's the real reason he fights against us so brazenly; he wants to protect her. Do you know what happens to someone when they lose their purpose? Inevitably they destroy themselves" Watts explained.

"Enough" Salem held up her hand gaining their attention "Ladies and gentlemen, Slade Stroud has embarked on a quest to end each and every one of us in this room. Make sure he doesn't accomplish this task by any means necessary, but I want that girl alive... now go" she waved her hand dismissively, everyone in the room bowed their heads in acknowledgement before they were each engulfed in darkness vanishing from the room. Salem looked up through the glass on the ceiling into the sky. Salem began chuckling darkly.

"I suppose I should find some time to come see you again" she grinned.


	22. Salem

**Thank you guys for being so patient with me, I really appreciate your feedback even the criticism. Hopefully I continue to do as well as you have been telling me I am. Chapters will definitely be taking longer for me from now on due to time constraints I have to deal with as well as my own writers block. Thank you all again for being so supportive.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Twenty-One: Salem**

Slade was led into one of the bedrooms by Yang, she pointed beside the bed furthest from the window.

"Put it there"

"There? Inside the house?" Slade asked confused.

"I want it close by" Yang shrugged, Slade rolled his eyes.

"Alright then" he cracked his knuckles, placing his right hand on the ground Bumblebee appeared between the wall and the bed. Yang's hand clasped down onto his shoulder as he stood back up.

"Perfect"

"In arm's reach" Slade chuckled, there was a loud knock at the front door.

"Who do you think that is?" Yang asked as they both exited her room.

"Hopefully not Ironwood" Slade smirked back at her.

"Can't say I disagree" she laughed.

"Who is it?" Ruby asked opening the door, she stopped at the sight "Penny!" she yelled pulling her into a hug.

"Salutations, I'm pleased to see you're so happy to see me, Ruby" she smiled carefully returning the hug "It's been awhile"

"You can say that again, the last time we saw you was during the attack on Beacon" Slade chuckled as he and Yang entered the room.

"Slade, it's a pleasure to see you again as well"

"Ms. Polendina, how wonderful for you to stop by and visit us. I was unaware James would've allowed you to come see us so soon" Ozpin greeted.

"General Ironwood didn't send me to come see you, Professor. My father did" she corrected cheerfully.

"Father?" Ozpin asked confused turning his head toward Ruby.

"The one who created her" Ruby explained.

"Ah" he nodded in understanding "What's your fathers name?" he asked curiously.

"Why Dr. Arthur Watts of course, he's the smartest man in the city" she answered smiling cheerfully.

"Dr. Watts created you!?" Slade and Yang yelled shocked.

"Yes... why is that so alarming?" Penny asked tilting her head in confusion.

"Watts is working with the people who orchestrated the attacks on Beacon and Haven" Ruby answered twiddling her fingers nervously.

"I'm afraid that's not possible" Penny shook her head "My father hasn't left his office since the attack on Beacon, he's been working nonstop to help keep the city's defenses up and running in case of an emergency"

"More like figuring out how to sabotage it" Yang growled.

"You must be mistaken, my father has had brand new infrastructure regulations put into place for the wall to ensure it wouldn't be breached; he has also updated the security systems to make sure our automated defenses cannot be hacked, he's even installed a defense network in the city to defend civilians against Grimm should they ever breach the walls as a precaution. I'm afraid it's not possible for him to have assisted in these attacks"

"That certainly lines up with what Ironwood told me" Ozpin placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

"Do you think we could've heard an imposter on the recording, or someone related to him?" Ruby asked "It's possible Salem was saying his name euphemistically"

"I don't think so... Salem wasn't speaking to him in a playful manner, she was quite serious... we're going to need to investigate him further before drawing anymore conclusions"

"I'm sure you won't fine anything on my father, he's a great man trying to help people as much as he can" Penny assured them.

"I appreciate your loyalty, Penny. But we're not going to make any assumptions before investigating" Slade informed placing his hand onto her shoulder.

"Of course, I understand completely" she nodded to them "It was nice seeing you all again, give Pyrrha my greetings" she hugged Ruby one last time before walking out of the house. Slade closed the door behind her sighing.

"That's not good... if we find something on him; then Penny's father is an evil mastermind working with Salem and if we don't we're back to square one"

"Indeed... hopefully our reinforcements will be here by the morning, we can discuss a plan of action then" Ozpin assured.

* * *

Slade entered the living room where Qrow was sleeping to find him sitting up staring at a small photograph his flask sitting on the table in front of him.

"You alright, Qrow?" he asked leaning his shoulder against the wall.

"I'm fine, kid" he quickly hid the photo "Didn't expect to see you up so early" he turned his head toward him.

"Qrow, I know something is wrong" he removed himself from the wall, sitting down beside him resting his arm on the back of the couch.

"What makes you say that?" Qrow asked curiously.

"Well, for one: You're awake before the sun is up, you've been staring at a photo for the past five minutes, and..." he reached over lifting his flask off the table "There's not a drop missing from your flask, which means for once in your life you're actually sober" Qrow laughed smacking his hand down onto Slade's shoulder.

"Nothing gets past you, huh, kid?"

"You're first mistake was thinking I wouldn't notice" he smirked back at him "What's going on?" Slade asked concerned, Qrow sighed with a small shake of his head as he removed the photo from his pocket.

"It's Raven"

"Your sister" Slade sighed.

"When we were younger... we were so close. Even back on team STRQ we were inseparable... then one day something changed; she ran away from her responsibility as a Huntress even after taking the oath we all took once we graduated" Qrow explained " I just... I don't understand how she could've changed so much and I didn't even see it, I know we originally joined the academy to learn how to kill Huntsmen but things changed, especially after learning about Salem... the Huntsmen became the family we needed and not the family that needed us" Qrow placed his hand over his forehead exasperatedly "I don't know... maybe it was me that changed and Raven was always how she is today" he sighed.

"I don't know how Raven used to be so I can't say anything for her... but she didn't seem like the kind of person who cared about others" Slade replied.

"I know what you mean" Qrow sighed "I understand if you hate her... but I don't think I ever could hate her"

"I don't hate Raven, I'm disappointed in her"

"How do you figure?"

"Yang really cares about her, even though Raven hasn't earned it... Yang holds out hope that she'll change one day, I'm not looking forward to the day Raven proves her wrong" Slade explained.

"I wish she was right, I would be glad to accept Raven back into our ranks, but she's too stubborn. Raven hates Ozpin for something he doesn't have any control over" Qrow finally took a sip of his flask "Not that we're likely to ever see her again, she's gone into hiding after the attack at Haven"

"Raven... Raven came to see me while I went for a walk by the pond just before Winter found us" Slade said reluctantly.

"She what?" Qrow asked surprised "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was going to, but I don't trust Ironwood and didn't want him knowing she was in the area"

"What did she want?" Qrow asked struggling to control the volume of his voice.

"She tried to convince me to leave Ozpin and convince Yang to her way of thinking... she seemed desperate"

"Desperate? Why would she be desperate?"

"I don't know, but she didn't want to fight me... I guess she's more interested in keeping herself alive than anything else, if she truly cared about Yang she would've been here with us helping in our fight against Salem"

"Raven's still trying to get Yang to her side then? That seems like something she'd do" he sighed.

"Raven was hurt when I implied she didn't care about Yang, Qrow. She actually seemed offended by the idea"

"Offended? She abandoned Yang the day she was born! Summer picked up the pieces for her when Tai was devastated!" Qrow practically yelled.

"I know... and yet... something is still there between the two of them. Raven desperately wants a relationship with her daughter... but she's too stubborn to help Ozpin"

"Sounds like my sister" he sighed looking at the photograph with a deep frown on his face "To think I thought we would always fight side by side... I was such a fool"

"Who is that?" Slade asked suddenly pointed to the picture. Qrow stared confused.

"That's Summer, Ruby's mother" he answered "Why?"

"I recognize her... she seems... familiar"

"Ruby looks just like her, kid. Of course she seems familiar" he deadpanned.

"No, I distinctly recall seeing her... somewhere before"

"Where?"

"I... can't remember"

"Kid-"

"I know that sounds crazy, but I swear to you I've seen her before"

"Everything alright Mr. Stroud?" Ozpin asked from behind them.

"Oz, kid says he's seen Summer before"

"Truly?"

"Kid says he can't remember where" he sighed.

"You're sure you've seen her before, it's not just a coincidence? Your mind can play tricks on you sometimes-"

"I know I have seen her before... but I can't place her... I remember having the memory of her more than the actual memory of the meeting" he smacked his fist down on the couch arm "Damn it!"

"Calm yourself, Slade. There's no need for you to get worked up over this, we'll keep this between us for now until you can more accurately recall Summer"

"If he ever does" Qrow added slumping into the couch.

"We have bigger problems, Qrow"

"What kind of problems?" Slade asked.

"The Summer Maiden has also been abducted by the Pursuer, apparently she was taken not long before the attack on Haven, just as Winter was taken during the attack"

"Damn! Salem's got three of the maidens already!" Qrow stood abruptly.

"Raven is the only maiden she's missing, she's not going to surface anytime soon. We should focus on regrouping with our reinforcements, they'll be arriving soon"

"About that" Qrow sighed rubbing the back of his neck.

"What is it?"

"Raven's already surfaced somewhere in Atlas" Slade answered.

"What!?" Yang yelled from the hallway.

* * *

"I Can't believe Raven is the only maiden left" Ruby sighed.

"Yeah, we still don't even know what happened to Cinder during the attack on Haven, she just disappeared" Yang agreed.

"Look on the bright side, we've got four seasoned Huntsmen coming to help us out here in the city and we're already aware of two of the infiltrators. We're better off than we were when we started" Blake pointed out.

"Blake's right, we should be focused on what we do have, not what we wish we had" Weiss agreed. Slade held his hand up indicating them to stop just as a small energy signature passed on the ground in front of them forming a circular wall around them before quickly disappearing.

"What was that?" Slade asked concerned.

"That's the city's new defense mechanism" answered a voice above them, turning they all saw the owner of the voice standing tall on the inner wall.

"Professor Goodwitch!" Ruby called excitedly "Long time no see!"

"Hello" she greeted dropping down in front of them "I see you're all still in top form" she smiled.

"What'd you expect, Professor?" Yang asked with a cocky grin.

"Nothing but the best from you, of course. Good to have you back Mr. St-... Slade" she corrected herself.

"Good to be back, Glynda" he chuckled "I wasn't aware you were our reinforcements"

"Someone had to come and help you all out, reports of Grimm in this area are startling. We've never seen such a large group of them in one place before, it's like an army"

"Glad it was you and not someone we didn't know" Blake smiled lightly, Glynda chuckled lightly.

"The others are all working on something over at our secondary safehouse" Glynda said turning away from the group "Come along, we have something to show you"

RWBY exchanged looks between each other, Ruby shrugged following behind Glynda pulling Slade along as she passed. Turning the corner they found a small one story house waiting for them with Glynda waiting through the open door. They all entered turning to find the other three Huntsmen.

"I'm back" Glynda called toward them causing them to turn around.

"RWBY! How lovely to see you alive and well" Oobleck greeted taking a sip from his thermos.

"Hoho! You're all in tip-top shape aren't you?" Port laughed.

"Somehow I knew you'd be the ones Ozpin sent to meet us" Tai chuckled.

"Dad!" Ruby and Yang called tackling him into a hug catching him off balance earning a laugh from the group.

"Nice to see you, Professors" Weiss greeted.

"The pleasure is all ours, mighty glad to see you're alive, Slade" Oobleck smiled warmly.

"Alright, alright, enough with the meet and greets" Tai removed himself from Ruby and Yang "We've got work to do, Atlas has a problem, a really big problem"

"What kind of problem?" Slade asked.

"Zwei!" Ruby yelled excitedly picking up the dog into a tight hug, the others of the team crowded around her excluding Slade and Blake. Tai shook his head chuckling.

"Come to the bailey and I'll show you, we don't know much about it ourselves" Tai said walking out the door gesturing for them to follow.

"Did you give them the cards dear?" Oobleck asked before they left looking to Glynda.

"Oh! I had nearly forgotten" she gasped reaching into her pocket "Here these are for you" she handed them a stack of ID cards for each of them and members of JNPR as well.

"What is it?" Ruby asked putting Zwei down.

"They're ID cards that will give you access to any part of the city, to help us with our investigation. Courtesy of the General" Port answered.

"Guess we should get to the baily then" Slade said noticing Tai had left them behind "Anyone know how to get there?" he asked sheepishly.

"I do" Weiss answered leading them out of the house.

"We'll all meet back at the primary safehouse, Ozpin will be briefing us on our plan of action" Glynda called from behind them.

"We'll be there!" Yang called back. Weiss quickly led them up onto the outer wall into the baily where Taiyang sat leaning against the wall looking out of the balcony into the valley of cliffs around them.

"What was it you wanted to show us, Dad?" Ruby asked curiously.

"We've already got everything in hand looking into the security system with help from your sister" he explained looking to Weiss "But we have one problem... that" Tai pointed forward out toward a crumbling ruin surrounded by Grimm, Ruby used the scope on Crescent Rose to see the sheer amount of them.

"Goodwitch wasn't kidding" Yang sighed "That's at least three times the amount of Grimm that attacked Vale" in the center of the massive army of Grimm was an enormous Goliath completely still, almost as if it was watching them.

"That Grimm isn't going to be easy to take down, it could step over the walls in one stride" Weiss noticed worriedly.

"No Huntsmen has ever seen a Grimm that big before, even for a Goliath it's abnormally large" Tai explained.

"That just means we'll be the first to take it down" Ruby grinned.

"Don't do anything reckless, please" Tai pleaded "I don't want to lose any of you during the attack"

"Don't worry about us, sir. We can handle ourselves just fine" Blake replied confidently.

"Glad to hear it, I'm trusting you all to look after Ruby and Yang for me when I cannot" he smiled "Do you know what's going on? Ozpin hasn't briefed us on everything that happened back in Mistral yet"

"We know someone named Dr. Arthur Watts is plotting with Salem to attack Atlas with the Grimm just like back in Vale. We recovered the relic from Mistral's vault along with ending the White Fang as a threat, Adam Taurus escaped capture along with Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai that infiltrated Beacon with Lionheart's help. Raven was apparently the Spring Maiden which is how we obtained the relic and now she has gone into hiding on account of the Winter and Summer maidens having been abducted by Salem" Slade explained.

"The Pursuer, one of Salem's creations was behind it, that thing attacked us on our way here, but Slade was able to defeat it" Ruby added.

"Now we have to focus on figuring out how Watts wants to sabotage the city for the attack, we know he's the one behind the new security regulations and upgrades" Weiss continued.

"But we still haven't found out if we've discovered everyone working with Salem" Blake pointed out.

"You were able to defeat something that single handedly defeated two maidens? Impressive..." Tai mused aloud.

"What about Cinder?" Yang asked "She's the Fall Maiden, we still don't know what happened to her after the attack"

"You called?" her voice echoed through the bailey startling the group. Slade rushed outside the wall looking around to find where her voice came from "Ozpin's powers are truly marvelous... were they only in more capable hands..." laughter could be heard from several different sources as RWBY prepared their weapons.

"Show yourselves!" Ruby yelled. A dark portal sprouted above them on the upper wall vanishing to reveal Cinder in it's place. Several more portals appeared behind her revealing Mercury, Emerald, Adam, Tyrian, and Hazel.

"Cinder!" Yang called angrily "Now we can settle things between us!"

"What a shame" Cinder pouted "Here I thought we could all be friends" she began laughing with the others as they all vanished into the same darkness that brought them there.

"Wait!" Weiss called. Mercury appeared in front of them through a dark portal. Weiss looked back up at the wall finding it empty she turned her head back to Mercury "How did you do that?"

"I'm not telling" he smirked.

"What's the big idea here!? You trying to taunt us or something?" Blake asked.

"Oopsy daisy" he shook his hands in mock intimidation.

"Move!" Yang yelled.

"Now, do you think that's polite? Shutting me down like that" he asked mocking offense.

"I said get out of the way!" she yelled her eyes flashing red.

"As if. You can talk all you want, but that won't change a thing" he crossed his arms confidently.

"Then we're gonna make you move" Ruby warned as they readied their weapons.

"See... that would work, if I were just any old dude... but I'm not. I'm with the Organization, nothing "Any old" about me" he explained.

"Tough talk for someone who went down so easily back in the tournament" Slade taunted.

"Oh dear, I think you got the wrong impression"

"You're not gonna start crying about it are you?" Weiss asked tauntingly. Mercury scoffed.

"As if. Why don't I remind you all just how tough the crowd you're dealing with really is" he offered. Slade glared in annoyance; Mercury began laughing hysterically.

"That's right! You used to give me that same exact look back at Beacon!" he caught his breath "Guess some things never change"

"You're not going to get anywhere stalling again" Slade growled.

"Gee, I just don't know" he got into a combat stance, they all followed suit prepared for his attack. Mercury smirked "Be good girls now" he mocked as the darkness took him once more.

"Wait!" Weiss launched herself with a glyph thrusting her blade for his chest missing as the portal vanished "He got away" she sighed.

"Relax, they're trying to take us off guard, we can't allow them to mislead us" Tai warned.

"Yeah, we need to focus on our mission here" Slade agreed.

"Right" Ruby nodded with a smile.

"What's with everyone calling you a girl Slade?" Yang joked earning a laugh from the group.

"They've figured out my secret" he feigned nervousness. Everyone roared with laughter unable to control themselves.

* * *

"Finally! What took you all so long!" Nora yelled as RWBY entered with Tai and Slade.

"Sorry, we ran into some trouble" Tai rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"What kind of trouble?" Glynda asked as Qrow approached, they shared a brief hug "Good to see you, Qrow" he smiled.

"Back at ya"

"Cinder appeared in the baily" Ruby answered "The rest of her team was with her too"

"How?" Ozpin asked.

"They used some type of portal, it was similar to Raven's but it felt darker" Slade answered.

"Mercury stalled us while they left, we let them get away" Yang sighed.

"On the bright side, we know how they've been able to go places faster than we have, they're using portals to get around" Blake pointed out.

"Good, whether they know it or not they just tipped their hand, now we know they're feeling the pressure we're putting on them. We cannot allow them to dissuade us from our goal"

"Absolutely" Ren agreed.

"Does that mean you've come up with a plan?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"I have-"

"What's with all the commotion out here! Can't a man sleep in peace-" Roman stopped when he noticed the room full of Huntsmen he didn't recognize "Oh, we have guests"

Tai, Glynda, Oobleck and Port all equipped their weapons pointing them at Roman as he did the same with his cane, Neo stepped in front of him opening her umbrella to defend him.

"What is he doing here!" Glynda yelled.

"Everyone calm down" Qrow called stepping between the two groups "They're with us"

"With us?" Tai asked "That bastard tried to kill Ruby and Yang constantly! You can't expect us to work with someone who helped Salem attack Vale!"

"This is outrageous!" Port yelled.

"Please, everyone" Ozpin tried but was ignored as they argued. Slade rolled his eyes as he removed his pistol and fired it once into the roof, everyone in the room immediately turned their weapons on him prepared to fire.

"Good, I have your attention" Slade holstered his pistol "Roman and Neo have proven they can be trusted. You don't like it the door is right there" he pointed behind him. Everyone lowered their weapons not moving toward the door "That's what I thought... Professor, you had something you were trying to tell us"

"Thank you, Slade. Roman, Neo, come and sit. You should hear this as well" They both reluctantly took places around Ozpin with the rest of the group "Since we're all here we can finally go over a plan of action... but there's something I must inform you all of first... something I haven't told anyone outside of the headmasters of the Huntsmen Academies"

"Something I don't even know?" Qrow asked curiously.

"Raven and Summer were the only members of STRQ who pushed me enough to reveal this, that's why Raven ran and Summer made me swear never to tell you or Taiyang"

"Summer knew?" Tai asked shocked.

"I'm sorry, Tai. She made me swear I wouldn't say a word to you, she wanted you to have a chance to raise Yang and Ruby first"

"What is it, Professor? What did our mothers know?" Yang asked curiously as she comfortingly placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Allow me to start at the beginning... Long ago when the two brothers created humanity, I was the first human they created. That's why I have my magic; they deemed it too powerful for all humans to posses, so they corrected this mistake with all the other humans giving them Auras and Semblances instead. Eventually I fell in love with a beautiful woman" he smiled fondly at the memories "We had four beautiful daughters together and lived happily on a small farm outside what is now known as the city of Vale, I helped create the four kingdoms we know today along with showing them how to use dust against the Grimm to protect themselves" he stopped his expression turning sour. Slade leaned against a nearby wall, listening with great interest.

"One day she became very sick, nothing we did helped at all; she was in so much pain. Eventually I started using my magic to try and save her, nothing I did worked... she was going to die if I didn't do something... I wasn't ready to lose her" he wiped a stray tear from his face "I crossed the line when I started experimenting on fusing animals with humans to find a possibility of a cure, some way to make her immune to the disease, I tried with every animal known to man"

"You created the Faunus?" Weiss asked surprised, Ozpin nodded.

"I inadvertently created the racism and prejudice the Faunus have to face everyday... I'm truly sorry for that, but I did something much more terrible... something I couldn't undo"

"What'd you do, Oz?" Qrow asked narrowing his eyes.

"I was at the end of my rope, if I didn't come up with something she was going to die, so I turned to the Grimm. Grimm were immune to all diseases and poisons, their only weakness being dust. My wife wasn't a fighter so there was nothing to be concerned about... at least that's what I told myself. She begged me not to do it but I did it anyway. It worked, she was completely immune to the disease ravaging her body"

"So you cured her?" Ruby asked.

"I cursed her. She was perfectly fine at first, then one day we got into an argument about something meaningless... her face became a deathly white and these strange black markings started to show up on her body, her eyes were truly frightening. They disappeared once she calmed down and I assumed it would only happen when she was angered... but eventually the markings didn't disappear, her eyes never returned to their natural state just like her complexion"

"Your wife, she became Salem" Slade concluded.

"Yes, Salem is my wife... she hated me for what I did to her, she wanted me to pay for it. Salem vowed to destroy everything I had built and everything I loved including our own children; Salem was consumed by her hatred for me. I was distraught when she left, I never left the farmhouse anymore, I didn't eat or sleep, I just stared at old pictures of us together, happier times, this is when the four kingdoms I had created fought with each other. Salem had found followers throughout the four kingdoms and sowed seeds of doubt between their leaders, this was only the first step she had of her plan to destroying everything I had built. Grimm began attacking more ferociously than before"

Ozpin struggled to manage his emotions "My daughters returned from their homes and convinced me I needed to stop her from hurting anyone, Salem was no longer the woman I loved but a demon who needed to be put down because of me. I gave them some of my power making them the first Maidens. The five of us marched upon Salem's stronghold she had created in the swamps in south Vacuo. We defeated her effectively ending her plans to invade the world using the Grimm as her army destroying her fortress in the process. Somehow she survived and I became cursed by the gods before they abandoned Remnant, that is how I am still alive today and how Salem came to be the way she is" he finished.

"Salem really is unstoppable then?" Nora asked worriedly.

"As I told you once before, Ruby. I have made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this earth ever have. I single handedly doomed the world to a constant secret war with Salem and the Grimm... I have killed Salem many times with many different Huntsmen at my side, friends who sacrificed themselves for the greater good against my wishes. I do not know if there is any true way to defeat Salem, but I know the only way I was able to kill her was with Huntsmen with silver eyes... just like you and your mother, Ruby"

"So Salem can die then?" Qrow asked.

"She's died many times before, she even began looking quite old once. I'm not sure how, but the next time I saw her she was younger" Ozpin answered.

"Now it makes sense why Salem hates you so much" Roman sighed "Who would've thought that the Faunus used to be us"

"Why did Summer make you promise not to tell me this?" Qrow asked "Why would she hide this from her family?"

"Summer knew you wouldn't keep it from Tai for very long, she also knew Tai would never allow Ruby and Yang to attend my school had I told him"

"You're damn right I wouldn't" Tai growled "How could you keep something like this from me"

"I tried to convince Summer that you both deserved to know; Raven running away was how Summer discovered I was keeping this secret to begin with"

"But why would she want Ruby and Yang to follow in our footsteps?"

"Summer left on her final mission the same week I told her this after she swore me to secrecy. I don't know where she went or what she was doing on this mission as I didn't assign it to her as I had led you all to believe. Summer made the decision to leave of her own accord. I never heard from her again since. Summer knew Ruby would be the only other person to be able to kill Salem if it came down to it, she trusted Yang to be able to look after her if things came to that"

"So... Yang's mom ran away because she didn't want to die in what she believe was your war not ours, and my mom left on a mission without telling anyone where she was going because she knew I would be able to kill Salem?" Ruby asked for clarification.

"Yes, to this day I have no knowledge of her intentions nor her destination"

"That sucks man" Sun said slumping into his chair.

"Sounds like she had something pretty important to do if she left so suddenly" Blake pointed out.

"Does anyone know why she left? Where she was going?" Slade asked.

"No, all I know is she never came back. Summer just vanished one day" Ozpin answered.

"How could Summer want Ruby to have to face Salem? Who in their right mind would ever want their own child to fight something like that?" Tai asked.

"Tai, please" Qrow tried.

"Taiyang, I don't believe she left because she wanted Ruby to face Salem. It is my belief she went to face Salem on her own, but she knew if she failed that Ruby would be the only one able to defeat her" Ozpin explained.

"So what now then? Are we going to just send Ruby to face Salem alone like Summer did? Perhaps only her team should go with her-" Tai ranted.

"Ruby's not going to be fighting anyone on her own" Slade interjected "Not while I still draw breath"

"Hell yeah. I'm not letting my little sis fight Salem on her own, I'll always be there to back her up" Yang smirked draping her arms around Ruby and Slade.

"I'm not going to just sit on the sidelines while my friends are fighting for their lives, we'll fight together" Weiss agreed.

"I'm not about to let my little sister do this alone" Winter added stepping beside Weiss with a small smirk "She'd just embarrass me" she added playfully.

"You can count me in, I'm not running away anymore" Blake pointed out.

"Blake's not going anywhere without me!" Sun called.

"Salem's coming whether we're prepared or not, I'm sure as hell not being left out" Pyrrha smirked.

"I second that" Jaune agreed.

"Of course, we're never going to leave our friends to face their problems alone" Ren explained.

"We'll smash Salem into the ground so hard she'll never get back up!" Nora yelled leaping onto the table excitedly.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not gonna get left out of this one" Roman smirked, Neo nodded emphatically "Looks like Neo's in" he added.

"Looks like we've got quite the gathering of Huntsmen" Qrow chuckled "Someone's going to have to look out for all you kids"

Ruby grinned at all of her friends "See? You don't have to worry about me, Dad. I've got the best watching my back" Tai sighed shaking his head.

"You do have that... I can't promise I'll stop worrying. But I can promise I'll be there to help when you need me" he smiled back at her.

"Count us in as well" Glynda announced.

"We're not going to let our students show us up just yet, they haven't even graduated yet" Oobleck smiled warmly.

"Quite right! They'll see first hand the glory that is Port!" Port yelled holding his weapon up triumphantly.

"It seems we're all in agreement then" Ozpin smiled warmly at the group "Then let's go to work"

* * *

 **I know none of this is going to be lining up with the actual RWBY backstory for Salem since this is being written beforehand, I hope you all liked what I decided to go with. I promise I will have the next chapter out as soon as I can without rushing it too much. Thanks for reading.**


	23. Conspiracy

**Here's the next chapter guys! Thanks for waiting, I'm hoping to be done with this story around chapter thirty but may end up writing more. Haven't decided yet, I do have a clear vision of the ending already though. Thank you guys so much for being so patient with me.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Conspiracy**

"We're really doing this then?" Yang asked leaning in toward Slade's ear.

"So it would seem" he sighed.

"This is idiotic" Blake placed her hand on her forehead in exasperation.

"Whether we like it or not, we have our orders from Ozpin" Slade explained as they approached the door at the end of the hallway.

"We're just gonna give away our one shot at catching Watts by playing this professionally?" Yang asked.

"We're not giving anything away, Yang. Dr. Watts needs to believe he's in danger of being discovered, this will cause him to rush his plans" he explained.

"Making our job easier, all we have to do is wait for him to slip up" Blake nodded in understanding "Alright, I guess I'm game"

"But why did he send us?" Yang asked.

"Everyone else is busy with their own tasks" Blake answered "Someone had to be available for this-"

"Enough" Slade sighed raising his arm up to knock on the door.

"Just a moment!" came the reply from behind the door. Penny opened the door seconds later with a small smile on her face.

"Salutations! Please come in" she stepped aside allowing them inside the room.

"Thank you, Penny" Slade smiled at her with a small nod of his head entering.

"Nice to see you again" Blake added. They looked around the office to see papers scattered around the room sloppily, a portrait of a man and a woman hung on the wall behind the large desk.

"Dr. Watts?" Yang asked in surprise, the man suddenly stood at attention.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, I seem to have gotten lost in my work once more. Please, make yourselves comfortable" he gestured toward the small couch on the right side of the room. Slade just continued to stare at the portrait behind him confused.

"Okay..." Yang said awkwardly taking a seat on the couch with Blake.

"I understand you're all here because of some evidence against me" he stated morosely "I can assure you I have taken no part in anything remotely criminal. All I want to do is help people" he explained.

"With all due respect Doctor, your reputation speaks greatly of you; but the evidence we've found in Mistral cannot be ignored. We're simply here to take a look around and ask you some questions" Blake explained.

"Of course, allow me to-" Watts stopped staring at Slade wondering why he's remained like a statue in the center of the room "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Slade was broken from his trance "Apologies, where'd you get that?" he asked gesturing to the portrait. Watts turned around to see the portrait and smiled brightly.

"That my dear boy, is a portrait I had made commemorating two of the greatest scientific minds here in Atlas. I've based hundreds of my own projects off their work" he explained.

"Who're they?" Yang asked looking at it curiously "They look familiar"

"They should" Slade sighed sitting down on the couch arm.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of them, these are the famed Dr. Strouds!" Watts answered pointing to the portrait.

"Slade's parents?" Blake asked in shock looking over to him.

"Who?" Watts asked.

"This is Slade Stroud, Father" Penny answered gesturing toward him. Watts eyes bulged in shock.

"Impossible... they said you died during the horrendous attack on Vale" Watts sat down in his chair due to his legs buckling from under him "My apologies, I was unaware they were your parents"

"It's... quite alright" Slade answered uneasy "You said they were the greatest scientific minds?" he asked confused.

"Yes, your father was the man who's designs inspired my security countermeasures in case of attack, those Grimm outside the wall won't be waiting out there forever" he explained, pointing then to his mother he continued "Your mother's designs were the building blocks I used to create Penny here"

"I can understand my mother, but my father was a spy" Slade replied confused "They were both Huntsmen, they didn't sit at a desk all day creating formulas" he continued.

"Your parents were many things, Mr. Stroud. But they were more than just mere Huntsmen... I was truly disappointed when I had heard of their deaths" he hung his head dejectedly "There was so many things we could've accomplished together"

"Why is Penny's last name Polendina? Why not name her Penny Watts?" Blake asked.

"While I may be able to take credit for having finished her creation, I cannot take credit for Penny here. Your mother was the one who truly created Penny, I simply put on the finishing touches" he explained.

"That doesn't explain the name" Yang pointed out.

"It actually does, before she married into the Stroud name; she was known as Dr. Polendina" he replied. Slade's eyes just stared at the floor in shock, the room remained silent everyone waiting for someone to say something.

"Slade-" Blake began

"I think we've derailed this conversation long enough" Slade spoke finally regaining his composure.

"As you wish" Watts stood from his desk "Ask your questions and search as you like, I can assure you there is nothing here but assurances against any accusations of wrongdoing" he explained.

"I believe we'll be the judge of that" Yang said standing from the couch with Blake. They began searching through his papers and desk, Slade moved to the center of the couch.

"Doctor, have you ever contacted anyone by the name of Salem?" he asked.

"Salem? I can't say I have ever heard the name. Is she some type of criminal?"

"I'll be asking the questions here, Doctor"

"Of course"

"Have you ever been in contact with Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai or Mercury Black?" he asked.

"I've never been in contact with anyone of them, although I did hear about someone with the last name Black died not too long ago, maybe two or three years ago" he answered.

"Where?"

"Farmhouse here in the kingdom of Atlas, I don't know any specifics, only that the farm was burned to the ground and a single body was found" he answered recalling the information.

"Have you been in Mistral in recent weeks?" he asked

"I've not been to Mistral in twenty years, I can assure you I have been nowhere but this very office since Vale's attack. I wanted to ensure the same thing couldn't happen here" he answered taking a seat once more.

"Have you ever been in contact with Leonardo Lionheart?" Slade narrowed his eyes at him.

"Headmaster of Haven? I believe we spoke once or twice, nothing recent though, this was about a year ago"

"What did you speak about?"

"Leonardo wanted to know if I was willing to come teach at his school, I rejected the offer"

"Why is that?"

"If I was going to teach it would be here in Atlas, as much as I love this city I cannot abide by all the militaristic aspects of the school system. I would want to teach students to be their own people, to have their own dreams. I don't want my students to want what the Headmaster and General want" he explained.

"I take it Ironwood didn't much like that idea"

"He's refused to ever allow me to teach because of it" he answered.

"Office is clear" Yang announced, Slade nodded to her.

"I believe we have wasted enough of your time, Doctor. We should be going" he politely led Yang and Blake to the door.

"Of course, thank you for helping me clear this up; I would hate for people to start thinking I could possibly have assisted with the atrocities Ms. Fall has committed" he turned toward Penny "Penny, would you please see them out? I know this building can be a maze sometimes"

"Of course, Father"

"Please, Penny. We've talked about this, I am no more your father than Dr. Polendina is your mother. Just call me Dr. Watts" he reminded.

"Of course, F- Dr. Watts" she corrected. Penny showed them out of the room leading them through the hallway.

"Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help!" Watts called after them.

"You can count on that" Blake answered back just as he closed the door.

"Do you think he's gonna take the bait?" Yang whispered so Penny wouldn't hear.

"He's far too cautious to make a mistake so soon, we'll have to be patient" Slade answered. Watts sat down in his chair and waited patiently for their footsteps to cease. Typing a code into his desk, he opened a drawer removing a small communication device.

"They're aware that I am working with Salem, we may need to expedite our plans" he announced into the device.

"Then we'd better hope my meeting goes well, I wouldn't want our plans to be delayed" Tyrian's voice replied.

"Keep your eyes peeled for Huntsmen, Slade is with them and they're already aware of your appearance"

"Don't worry about me, Arthur. I can handle myself thanks to my new toy" he cackled madly.

* * *

"Nebula!" Roman practically shouted holding his arms out as if waiting for a hug "It's been far too long"

The woman in question wore a large hood covering most of her face, she turned toward Roman never lifting her arms toward him, her piercing red eyes cut through the darkness looking past Neo, the rest of her body was completely covered up "Who're they?" she asked. Roman's face deflated as his arms dropped to his sides.

"They're with me, I can assure you; they're trustworthy" he answered gesturing to Qrow and Glynda.

"Trustworthy? Like you? Trouble then" she concluded.

"C'mon, Nebula" he whined "For old time sake?" he asked. Nebula smirked nodding her head toward the alleyway behind her, the wall opened into a thin hall with a metal detector inside.

"Thank you" he grinned. Each of them entered passing through the metal detectors without any problem.

"Let's get this over with, I don't like being unarmed" Qrow groaned as the door behind them closed and the doors in front of them opened to reveal a grand casino with many people scattered about the tables drinking and laughing.

"Spread out and listen, we're likely to find out something we want to know" Roman explained.

"What kind of trouble was she talking about?" Qrow asked through their earpieces as Roman and Neo descended the stairs further into the casino.

"I had a disagreement with some arms dealers who wanted a better deal on the dust I had stolen in the area, Neo made a bit of a mess" he explained.

"Hopefully we won't have anything like that happen tonight" Qrow sighed.

"That depends"

"On what?"

"How fast we get in and out of here, we're bound to get found out sooner or later"

"Can we please focus?" Glynda lectured. They began listening in on the other groups conversations "Thank you" Neo and Qrow went straight for the bars while Glynda remained upstairs.

"How many armed?" Qrow asked leaning against the bar, Neo held up her hands showing the number two.

"Five, there's three more behind you" Glynda answered.

"Six" Roman answered "Ice Queen's old man is here, things just got more complicated" Roman sighed as they both looked at each other, approaching the table beside him "Mr. Schnee" he greeted.

"Mr. Torchwick"

"Buying something?" he asked.

"What I am doing or not doing on behalf of my company is none of your concern. Whatever the hell you're up to, do me a favor and stay out of my way" he shot back.

"I gave you the names of my employers once I left. You owe me"

"I didn't have you killed for stealing from me on countless occasions, I'd say we're even" he replied darkly "Whatever you're doing, you need to leave. Now"

"If I don't get what I'm here for, you're not walking out that door. You've been warned" Roman left the table. Jacques turned following him to a separate table.

"Alright fine, I may or may not be meeting a potential business partner who may or may not help me keep my business dealings here in the criminal side of business confidential despite what many have tried to unveil, no matter what you're here for; this deal is not being called off, once the dust settles... maybe we can work something out"

"I'm not here to negotiate" Torchwick warned just as several armed men entered the casino, the metal detector blaring as they did.

"I thought weapons weren't allowed in here" Glynda sighed.

"They're not" Roman responded as Jacques walked away.

"Somebody didn't get the memo, those people are definitely armed. I'll secure our exit" Glynda ordered.

"Tyrian Callows is here" Qrow pointed out barely managing to suppress a growl at the sight of him.

"That's quite the entourage you have here" Jacques pointed out approaching Tyrian.

"Them?" he asked "You think they're for you? Don't worry I can handle a deal with you myself" he laughed wickedly.

"You have what I asked for?"

"I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours" he replied grinning.

"Six more men" Qrow pointed out.

"Keep calm, we can't afford a shootout right now, too many people would get caught in the crossfire"

"Since when did you care about collateral?" Qrow scoffed.

"I don't, but I'm sure Ozpin doesn't want a shootout in Atlas tied back to him"

Jacques held out a silver case in front of him "I have what you wanted right here... do we have a deal?" he asked, Tyrian placed his finger onto his chin thoughtfully as he looked around the room cautiously, his eyes stopped upon seeing Roman at a nearby table narrowing at the sight.

"It's now or never" Qrow warned.

"Stand down" Glynda ordered a little too loud, one of the armed guards turned toward her as she realized her mistake.

"Hey!" he called approaching her, Glynda turned away from him "Hey!" he called again reaching for her shoulder.

"I've been made" she sighed as his hand clamped onto her shoulder. Tossing her purse into the guard ahead of her she twisted back around unveiling her riding crop smacking him in the throat forcing his hand off of her. The first guard removed a pistol from beneath his coat only to be disarmed by her heel slamming his hand into the metal railing, then stomping onto his foot and head-butting him. Glynda grabbed the second guard's leg tossing him over the railing using his own weight against him. The guard smashed through a glass table causing a patron to scream in terror. Tyrian grinned holding up his left arm toward Jacques firing his wrist weapon. Jacques used the case to deflect the bullets as he ducked behind a table.

"The Huntsmen are here!" Tyrian yelled "Kill them all!"

Qrow picked up a shot glass from the bar splashing it into the face of an approaching guard then kicked behind him throwing another guard over the edge of the bar, flipping the shot class in his hand he smashed it into the first guard's face then slammed it into the bar with his right hand while taking a sip from his flask with his left.

"Secure the case!" Tyrian yelled pushing one of his men toward the table Jacques hid behind. Neo swept her legs beneath the guard's taking them out from under him as she slammed her elbow into his face knocking him into the ground, a second guard removed his pistol from it's holster just as she grabbed his arm with her hand she snapped his wrist disarming him then dropped onto her hands slamming her foot into his chest throwing him into the back of the bar. Jacques stood from his place with the case in hand firing his sidearm toward Tyrian's men taking down one of them as he hid behind a separate table.

Roman used his cane to easily deflect the attacks of two guards as he backed away slowly, one guard's leg struck for his head just as he blocked the second's strike with his cane, Roman grabbed his leg in his opposite hand then swung it toward the second guard's leg breaking it as it bent backward twisting the first guard around, Roman kicked him in the back throwing him through the crowd.

Neo wrapped her arm around a third guard's arm as he aimed his pistol at Torchwick swinging him around as he fired. Using her umbrella she smacked the handle into the fourth's throat then flipped it around smacking him in the face knocking him to the floor. Hooking the handle around the leg of the previous guard she flipped him onto his back twisting his arm painfully then stomping her foot into his face as Roman did the same with the fourth guard that attacked her. Neo picked up the pistol firing at another guard on the second floor dropping him easily.

Behind the guard Neo shot was Glynda swinging a table around with her Semblance knocking one of the guard's onto his back then throwing it into his face keeping him there, Glynda kicked another guard in the throat knocking him out then twisted around roundhouse kicking a third in his chest throwing him onto a broken glass bottle, using her riding crop as a fourth came around the corner she slapped it between his legs painfully then smacked him across the face with it stumbling him backward, spinning around under his fist as he swung for her head she kicked him in the chest forcing him through the railing onto the ground floor.

Qrow leapt up the stairs after Tyrian as he attempted to leave "Tyrian! You're not getting away that easily"

"Qrow Branwen! How nice to see you again! I was so glad to hear you survived my poison" he taunted.

"What's in the case?" he demanded.

"A bit of this and a bit of that" he answered with a dismissive wave "You should really be more concerned about you... and that bitch that cut off my tail" he growled.

"Leave Ruby out of this"

"Let's not" he grinned as his new tail ripped through his coat, it was a large metal tail pointed directly at Qrow.

"Looks like you've made some upgrades" he scoffed.

"I certainly have" he laughed as his tail opened into a plasma cannon, firing into Qrow's chest he was thrown through the casino into a suitcase of money causing the Lien to be thrown into the air "I've made it rain!" he laughed wickedly as he ran out the front door.

"Qrow!" Glynda called as Neo and Roman rushed to check if he was injured.

"I'm fine" he called hoarsely "Don't let him get away"

Glynda nodded racing outside as she used her scroll to make a call "I need backup in the northeast quadrant of town, Tyrian Callows is on the move" he announced.

"I'm on my way!" Weiss replied quickly.

"Count me in!" Ruby added.

"Is he on foot?" Sun asked. Glynda made it outside to find black three trucks rushing off.

"No, he's in a black truck headed west, there's three of them" she replied.

"I see them!" Oobleck replied "They're splitting off in different directions, Mr. Wukong and I can handle the west vehicle"

"We'll take the east one then" Ruby informed.

"Guess that leaves the center one for me" Glynda sighed rushing to keep up with the vehicles as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

Sun leapt onto the roof of the truck wrapping his tail around the antennae hanging in front of the driver "Hello!" he called waving as he fired his nunchucks into the window with his opposite hand, the driver ducked back away from the bullet swerving around a turn. Sun was thrown from the vehicle barely managing to catch himself on a street pole using his tail. Oobleck threw his weapon through the back window piercing the windshield planting into the ground in front of the car stopping it in it's tracks flipping the car onto it's front standing vertically.

"You alright?" he asked looking up at Sun, he crossed his arms indignantly.

"I had it handled"

"Clearly" he chuckled.

Glynda leapt in front of the car as it raced toward her, using her Semblance she stopped it just before it collided with her, walking toward the back she threw the doors open revealing Tyrian's absence from the vehicle.

"Central truck is clear" she reported.

"East truck is, uh... clear" Sun replied.

"That must mean he's in the truck we're after" Weiss concluded as she leapt into the road as it turned the corner driving straight toward her. Weiss waited for it to get closer, spinning she stabbed her sword into the ground forming a sheet of ice in the road just before Ruby used her Semblance to get Weiss out of the way. The truck slid over the ice nearly flipping over but managing to stay upright on it's wheels. Ruby used Crescent Rose to slice the vehicle in half.

"Truck has been stopped" she grinned back at Weiss happily.

"I wouldn't get too excited, Ruby" Weiss sighed gesturing to the empty truck.

"Tyrian's not her either?" Ruby asked confused as Weiss began to removed the driver from the truck.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Sun yelled frustrated.

"He's playing a shell game" Slade informed over the scrolls "Looks like we fell for his party trick"

"Where have you been? We could've used your help" Roman asked accusingly as he and Neo helped carry Qrow out from the casino.

"Slade was helping us catch a little bird" Yang giggled holding an unconscious Jacques by his leg over the edge of a rooftop as Blake tied his hands behind his back.

"Jacques Schnee has been secured, hopefully we can question him for more information on Salem's plans here. Maybe even some evidence against Watts if we're lucky" Slade explained holding the silver case Jacques previously possessed.

"Excellent work, all of you" Ozpin smiled back at the safehouse "Bring him in for questioning with General Ironwood, we'll make sure he tells us what he knows"

"Copy that" Blake replied "What about Tyrian?" she asked curiously.

"We're not going to find him tonight, our best bet is to get any information we can from Jacques and hope for the best" Ozpin explained.

* * *

"What am I doing in here!? You have no right to keep me in here!" Jacques yelled furiously in the empty room. Ozpin and Ironwood watched from behind the glass as he continued to protest.

"Do you think he's ever going to realize we muted him an hour ago?" Ironwood asked.

"I doubt it" Ozpin chuckled "Who are you going to have question him?"

"Winter is my best interrogator... but I'd rather not get her involved interrogating her own father" he answered sighing "I'll probably end up having to do it myself" he turned to exit observation.

"We could always send in one of mine" Ozpin offered.

"You have an interrogation specialist?" Ironwood asked confused.

"Not particularly, I know Slade has a lot of experience getting information from others and any one of my students would jump at the chance to meet with Weiss's father when he's at their mercy" he explained "Especially Blake"

"I'm willing to allow Slade into that room only because I know he'll be professional, unfortunately I don't believe anyone else from your students teams will be able to get a man like Jacques to talk"

"Perhaps you're right" he sighed.

"How's Qrow doing?" Ironwood asked slightly concerned.

"He's recovering well, Qrow was lucky his Aura level was considerably high when he took that hit from Tyrian" Ozpin explained.

"Good, I would hate for him to die on us so easily" Ironwood chuckled exiting the room. Ironwood entered the interrogation room with Jacques.

"Finally! Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting here? Get me out of these!" he demanded showing his restraints.

"I'm afraid you're not in any position to make demands"

"Well I'm making them!" he shot back.

"Jacques, please" Ironwood sighed sitting down in the chair across from him.

"Don't "Jacques" me, you're the one who stole both of my daughters from me! You turned them against me!"

"You have done that yourself!" Ironwood yelled slamming his hands onto the table.

"How dare you-!"

"We're done here, perhaps you'll be more open to talking once you've stayed her longer" Ironwood stood up to leave.

"You cannot just leave me in here!"

"The hell I can't! Four witnesses place you in a criminal hotspot last night making a deal with a known member of the organization responsible for the attacks on both Vale and Mistral these past few months, don't tell me what I can and cannot do Jacques, you're lucky you're not being executed for treason"

"Treason!?" Jacques yelled furiously.

"Selling Dust to known terrorists is a capital offense, Jacques"

"This is an outrage-" The door opened to reveal Slade entering the room.

"With all due respect, General. I think you've gotten yourself too close to the suspect to properly question him"

"I... Perhaps you're right" Ironwood sighed.

"Who is this pompous-"

"My name is Slade Stroud" he answered sitting down in the chair across from him.

"Stroud?" Jacques asked a small grin forming onto his face "So your his brat then aren't you?"

"If you're referring to his father, then you can stop the conversation right now. He's here to ask you some question's, I suggest you answer them" Ironwood warned turning to leave.

"Thank you, General" Slade smirked.

"So... they sent a boy to interrogate me. James must be pretty desperate-"

"The only desperate person in this building is you, Mr. Schnee. That's why you've been so combative instead of answering his question's. You know you're in trouble, but you're trying to make yourself seem like the victim" Slade explained "I'm only going to ask you one time before I expect you to answer... you don't want me to ask again" he warned.

"If you think-"

"That being said, why don't we get down to business" Slade interjected.

"Fine, ask your question's. I may even answer them" Jacques relented crossing his arms.

"Why were you at this hidden casino last night?"

"Business meeting"

"Who were you meeting?"

"You already know" Jacques replied waiting impatiently for his next question. Slade allowed a small smile to grace his face just before Jacques head slammed against the table "What the hell!?" he asked confused looking around for someone else in the room.

"Who were you meeting?" Slade repeated.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked once more. His hand was suddenly twisted breaking his wrist violently causing him to scream in anguish.

"Who were you meeting?"

"Tyrian Callows!" he yelled frantically.

"Thank you" Slade smiled "Next time I ask you a question I expect you to answer it the first time"

"How did you do that? You never even moved" Jacques asked.

"I have my ways, think of it as payback for what you've put your daughter through"

"Winter put you up to this didn't she?" he accused angrily.

"Not the daughter I was referring to" he answered his tone turning dark.

"Weiss then? How could she do this to her own father-"

"Why were you meeting Mr. Callows?"

"I was trying to get his associates to assist me in keeping my less than savory business dealings confidential"

"So you were selling him Dust"

"He wanted Dust in exchange for cooperation, I don't know what he wanted it for"

"Tyrian is working with the ones responsible for the attacks on Vale and Mistral, they're planning on doing the same thing here" Slade explained.

"Impossible, Atlas has remained the strongest kingdom for a reason, nothing they do could breach these walls"

"That's not what the General seems to think, especially because the one who built those walls is responsible for assisting them in the attacks"

"You're joking"

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Mr. Schnee. No matter how much you wish it, the world will keep on turning without you" Slade vanished from the room reappearing in observation leaving Jacques shaking in fear.

"Looks like you really shook him up" Yang laughed.

"He should be more compliant with you now" Slade informed the General.

"Thank you, Slade. I must say I am surprised you're as talented at interrogation as you are, using your Semblance so expertly is quite impressive"

"I used simple fear tactics" Slade smirked "Works every time on people like him, rich CEO's thinking they have free reign to do as they please"

Ironwood chuckled "You sound just like your father when he used to talk about me"

"Was he wrong?" Slade asked.

"At the time, perhaps not. I am not the man your father led you to believe, I'm not perfect but I give it my best shot"

"My father didn't have as low of an opinion of you as you might think, he respected you greatly. But respect doesn't mean trust" Slade exited the shook his head with a sigh.

"Is Slade alright?" Yang asked concerned.

"He's under a lot of stress right now, as are the rest of us. I know he never wanted to return here but it seems inevitable that he'd be stuck here until we unravel Salem's plan.

* * *

Slade sat alone in his room watching the bustling city from outside his window, he contemplated everything they knew so far, wondering if they had made the right move interrogating Watts so early. Ruby entered the room startled slightly by his presence.

"Slade? I thought you were with Yang headed to see Ozpin"

"I just got back" he replied without turning around.

"Oh..." she sat awkwardly wondering what she should do "I guess I should go see how Uncle Qrow is doing" she turned to leave.

"Ruby" he called stopping her "I think we need to talk... about us"

"Us?" Ruby asked confused sitting down on the bed beside him "Is something wrong?"

"That's what I'd like to know" Slade sighed turning toward her.

"I'm not sure what you mean"

"Back in Mistral, I didn't remember anything from Beacon. You told me everything I needed to know... except two things" he explained "You wouldn't talk about the night of the attack, which I understand. It was a hard time for you... but why didn't you tell me about us? Why did you distance yourself from me?"

"I wasn't distancing myself... I... I was trying to make things easier on you. I didn't want you to feel forced to love me because I told you we were together" she explained looking away dejectedly.

"You didn't tell me because you thought it would be too much for me to handle?" he asked surprised, Ruby nodded still not turning back to him.

"I didn't want to add to your problems-" she answered being interrupted by Slade pulling her into a passionate kiss, his right hand cupping her face while his left went down to her waist. They continued like this for several minutes before breaking apart "What was that for?" she asked smiling brightly.

"I thought you were having second thoughts about us being together" he laughed "Sorry I doubted you"

"It's alright, you've been through a lot lately, I want us to be able to talk to each other about things like this. I don't want there to be any secrets between us"

"If that's the case there's something I need to tell you... Raven came to see me"

"Raven? Yang's mom?" Ruby asked confused "What'd she want with you?"

"She was trying to convince me to turn against Ozpin, I believe it's because she wants me to convince Yang to her side as well" Slade explained.

"I suppose that makes sense... does anyone else know?"

"I told Qrow and Ozpin, Yang overheard us talking so she knows too. I don't believe anyone else knows but you, Ironwood might know through Ozpin though"

"Do you think we should tell the others?" she asked curiously.

"Ozpin wanted me to keep it quiet for now, didn't want us to make everyone nervous. The less people who know, the less chance Salem will hear of Raven's presence here in Atlas" he explained.

"I suppose that makes sense" Ruby looked unsure.

"I know what you're thinking, Rubes" Slade chuckled "Don't worry, I want to tell them too"

"Everyone deserves to know" she agreed.

"I know, but for now we should keep it to ourselves. We'll tell them soon, I promise" Ruby rested her head onto his lap as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Thank you" she smiled up at him.

"For what?"

"Being honest with me, Ozpin asked you to keep it to yourself and you still told me"

"You did want us to be honest with each other right?" he kissed her forehead causing her to giggle.

"I did. I just didn't expect you to tell me something right away" Slade chuckled at her response.

"What can I say? I love you too much to keep anything a secret for too long"

"I love you too" she smiled brightly pulling his head down to kiss her lips.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Qrow asked from the doorway smirking. Ruby shot up from her position.

"Uncle Qrow! What're you doing sneaking up on us!?"

"You left the door open, I didn't have to do a lot of sneaking" Qrow chuckled "Besides I am here for Slade, Penny's looking for him" he explained.

"Penny is looking for me?" Slade asked confused.

"Don't know what it's about but she told me it was important" he motioned for Slade to follow as he left the room. Entering the living room Penny waited nervously on the couch.

"Slade" she greeted.

"Penny, may I ask what's so important that you come here to get me specifically?" Slade asked curiously.

"I think I may have found something you'll want to see about my father" she answered standing from her place on the couch.

"Something incriminating?" Slade asked, Penny nodded her head.

"Yes, the reason I came for you is because of your Semblance, I know he's going to be away from his office for sometime but I don't know how quickly he'll return, we have to be quick" she explained.

"How quick?"

"We need to go very soon, or we'll miss our window of opportunity she explained. Slade and Qrow shared a look between them of concern.

"Are you sure everything is okay with you, Penny? You seem distressed" Ruby asked concerned.

"I am distressed, I... I thought my father was a better man. But that doesn't matter right now, I need Slade to come with me quickly"

"Look, Penny. We can't just-" Qrow began.

"I'm game, tell me where to go and we'll be there" Slade interjected.

"Take us outside the building" Penny ordered.

"Slade, are you sure you want to go alone?" Ruby asked concerned.

"She's right, Kid. You can have us tag along" Qrow agreed.

"You're still recovering from your injury, Ruby should be here to make sure nothing happens to you while I'm gone. Would hate for you to break something old man" he winked playfully earning a scoff from Qrow and a small laugh from Ruby. Slade kissed Ruby's cheek as he passed by her "Promise I won't be gone long"

"Call if you need me" Ruby replied holding up her scroll.

"Yes, ma'am" he placed his arm onto Penny's vanishing from the room as he did leaving Qrow and Ruby alone in the house. Ruby sighed trying to suppress her concern.

"Don't worry, pipsqueak. Slade will be fine, kid can take care of himself"

"I know... but he shouldn't have to handle things on his own all the time" she sighed sitting down on the couch.

"Hey" Qrow sat down next to her "Don't worry about it, the rest of your team will be back with Ozpin soon. If anything goes wrong we'll all be there in a matter of minutes" he assured.

"Thanks, Uncle Qrow" she smiled up at him.

"We're back!" Nora yelled kicking the front door open.

* * *

"Is everything in place?" Salem asked looking around the table.

"Yes, Jacques did his job perfectly. The Huntsmen will now be looking in the wrong place for what we're doing" Watts explained.

"They honestly believe we needed to buy that small amount of dust!" Tyrian howled with laughter.

"What about the rest?" Salem asked curiously.

"Everything is in place. When we attack nothing will stop the Grimm from entering the city. Not even all the Huntsmen left in the city could stop an army of that size"

"What about Slade?" Cinder asked.

"I have already handled that, Mr. Stroud should soon be joining his parents in the afterlife" Watts chuckled "To think that boy has caused us so much trouble"

"Don't underestimate him, Arthur. I know your plan would work on any of the other students in his year but Slade isn't like them. Make sure he doesn't leave alive" Salem ordered.

"He's not going to die from something that simple" Adam shook his head.

"If Arthur's plan fails then you'll be the one to take him out as we originally intended" Cinder grinned.

"So long as I get to have some fun with him first, I'll kill him whenever you want me to" he smirked.

"What of the girl?" Hazel asked.

"No matter what happens during our attack, I want that girl alive... what of our efforts to locate Raven?" Salem asked.

"I destroyed her camp and all of her followers as you ordered. Raven was nowhere to be found" Cinder answered disappointedly.

"Keep looking, I don't want her escaping us forever" Salem ordered.

"Of course, Master"


	24. Secrets And Lies

**Here's the next chapter! Thank you all for being so prompt with your reviews, they really help me be a better writer even if it's not during the course of this particular story. Anyway thank you guys for being so supportive, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Twenty-Three: Secrets And Lies**

Penny led Slade inside the building quickly entering a large empty room the doors closed abruptly behind them as they entered. Slade twisted around startled by the sound, relaxing as he realized what happened.

"Bit eerie isn't it?" Slade asked turning back to face Penny, her back faced him as she continued walking only coming to a stop once she was in the center of the room "Penny? Are you alright?" he asked concerned.

"No... I am not" she answered turning her head back to see him "I regret that our paths diverge here... out of respect for you, I wanted to be here to witness your fate" she explained turning her head away from him regretfully.

"I had a bad feeling about this ever since Qrow told me you wanted to see me" Slade sighed.

"Your senses have always been keen" Penny shook her head turning around to face him as she continued "It pains me, but this entire scenario is a ruse. There's no evidence and my father never left his office... instead he had me lure you here to have you killed" she explained regretfully.

"After all we have been through together? Ruby, me, Ozpin, did any of it even mean anything to you?" Slade asked being hurt by her words.

"It meant everything to me... you've helped me immensely, Ruby is the first friend I ever had. I act today with a heavy heart, Slade... but without him I wouldn't even be alive" she explained holding back her synthetic tears.

"Watts tried to have you killed just to send a message to Ozpin!" Slade yelled infuriated.

"I didn't want to choose between you, but father has forced my hand and I must side with him. Once your... dead, your friends will either join with us or be eliminated"

"You would willingly throw away everything? You would leave your friends because you feel you owe Watts just because he created you?" Slade asked confused "How can you not see how blind you are!?"

"I'm sorry, Slade, I truly am... but I have no choice. I have studied you in battle for some time now, I was originally planning to use this information to defeat you in the Vytal tournament... but it seems I must use it now to kill you. I have exhaustively noted your strengths and weaknesses" she explained as the doors behind her opened to reveal two automated Paladins entering the room, the doors closed behind them "These Paladins have been programmed specifically to combat you. I calculate a near zero percent chance of their failure"

"Your reliance in the odds shall be your downfall" Slade shot back unsheathing his blade.

"If anything I am underestimating their chances, you'll find they're virtually immune to you... I'm sorry it's come to this, Slade. I know you can't forgive me for this but know I don't take pleasure in any of this" a stray tear found it's way onto her face as her backpack opened unleashing her blades hovering behind her prepared to strike.

"Perhaps you'll be more reasonable once I have defeated your toys" Slade pressed a button on his scroll in his pocket just before charging forward.

* * *

Ruby sat nervously watching her scroll on the table as the others conversed around her.

"Something wrong, sis?" Yang asked concerned sitting down next to her on the couch.

"Penny took Slade to Watts building to show him some evidence against him" she answered "He told me he would call if he needed help"

"Then what's with the nervous twiddling?" Yang asked "Slade can handle himself just fine, especially if Penny's there with him"

"I know... but I have a feeling something bad is gonna happen. I know Slade felt it too but he didn't say anything about it before he left" she explained.

"I'm sure he's fine!" Nora laughed sitting on the chair arm next to Ren in front of them "Slade's dealt with much worse than a little old Doctor before"

"I'm sure there's nothing to be concerned about" Ren assured with a smile.

"You're probably right... how was the mission?" Ruby asked taking her mind off of Slade.

"Not as productive as we hoped" Pyrrha sighed leaning on the couch arm "We didn't find anything that could help us should the Grimm attack"

"There's too many Grimm everywhere to properly scout the army for weak points" Jaune explained.

"Well we haven't had much better luck" Weiss added "My father was found to be working with Tyrian but he doesn't seem to know anything, if he did he would've cracked hours ago" she sighed.

"I'm sure we'll find something eventually, let's wait for Slade to get back before we get all mopey about it" Blake offered.

"Ms. Belladonna is right, nothing remains hidden forever; no matter how hard you try secrets eventually come to light" Winter agreed.

"Where's Sun?" Yang asked curiously.

"He's out with the others watching over the city, don't want Tyrian to move anywhere without us knowing" Qrow answered from behind her "Roman seems to believe they're going to try and make a move for Slade while we're preoccupied with your old man" he added looking toward Weiss and Winter.

"Do you think he's right?" Ruby asked.

"I'm inclined to believe him" Ozpin answered surprising the group "Mr. Torchwick was right about the hidden casino having information we'd want after all"

"When did you get here?" Nora asked accusingly causing him to chuckle lightly.

"I arrived mere moments ago, I was under the impression Slade would be here with the rest of you" he stated raising his eyebrow.

"Penny said she had some evidence against Watts but they had to move immediately" Ruby explained. Ozpin removed his scroll from his pocket pulling up a video feed from the cameras inside the building Watts worked out of. Every room was empty save for his office where he was working diligently. Watts went to stand from his desk only to go back into a sitting position reading over a note he had just put down onto the table. Ozpin's eyes bulged in shock.

"Professor? Is something wrong?" Ruby asked concerned.

"RWBY get your weapons and come with me, we're going after Slade. Qrow and Winter take JNPR with you and secure the building exits we don't want anyone getting away" he ordered abruptly.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked confused.

"The camera's Ironwood hooked me into are on a loop, I think Slade is in trouble"

"Slade said he would call us if something came up" Yang offered just as Ruby's scroll began ringing on the table. Picking it up she answered the call from Slade.

"Hello? Slade are you-" she stopped pulling the device away from her ear at the loud clashing of metal surprising her, a gunshot was heard just before the call dropped. Ruby picked up Crescent Rose from it's place beside the couch "Let's go RWBY, one of our teammates is in trouble" she ordered sternly.

* * *

The Paladins fired missiles at Slade as he charged forward, using his blade he easily sliced them apart using his Semblance to hit them all simultaneously. Appearing behind the Paladin's the right one swung it's leg toward him anticipating his movement. Slade slid underneath it's swing firing his pistol at the left Paladin as he rose to his feet. Penny launched her blades at Slade forcing him to block them with his gauntlets and blade deftly interchanging hands, the Paladin behind him lifted it's right foot to crush him only for Penny's blades to stab into it knocking it off balance with Slade's Semblance. Slade leapt over a Paladin's arm as it swung for his chest smashing into the opposite Paladin knocking it over. Twisting around Slade sliced his blade through the air using his Semblance to force the Paladin's in half rendering them useless as Penny's blades returned to her side.

"You should've gotten better toys" Slade taunted turning toward Penny, she was preparing to fire a powerful energy beam using her blades. Slade crossed his arms as it fired disappearing just before it came into contact with him, reappearing beside Penny he used his Semblance to call forth the severed arm of a Paladin smacking her with it launching Penny into a nearby wall. She fell out of the indentation in the wall, her aura sparking around her.

"I should've known!" Penny groaned holding her left arm painfully "I thought I'd programmed the perfect killing machines for you, I was painstakingly precise" she dropped onto one knee exhaustedly.

"Your Paladins pushed me... it was a valiant attempt" Slade panted out between breaths as his aura sparked around him as well.

"That's little consolation I'm afraid... I betrayed you... conspired with your most hated enemies. I know it is meaningless to express my deep regret; I don't expect your mercy" Penny shamefully looked to the ground.

Slade limped his way over to her lifting her face to look at him "I understand your confusion, Penny. Watts created you, so you thought you owed him for that. You should know that he's not done anything for you other than give you the chance to live, but what is that worth if you cannot be with those you care for and who care for you..." Slade sighed exasperatedly "I... forgive you, Penny" her eyes bulged out of her head in shock.

"Slade... I... I am deeply grateful. My father would never provide me the same forgiveness"

"I know, but I'm not your father" Slade smirked helping Penny to her feet.

"If you'll permit me, I would like to help you in your fight against my father and his associates. My loyalty to you will never come into question again" she explained.

"I'll allow it, but I'm warning you right now. If you even think about betraying us again, I will kill you. Am I clear?" he asked threateningly. Penny swallowed nervously.

"Understood"

"Good" he smiled warmly at her. Slade's expression dropped at the sound of slow clapping behind him, turning around he saw Watts clapping his hands together slowly as he approached them.

"Very impressive, Mr. Stroud" he stopped clapping "I must admit I am disappointed you're not dead"

"Salem must be getting pretty frustrated by that right about now" Slade smirked back confidently.

"Not particularly, you may be powerful but you're nothing compared to her, boy" he chuckled "Your death will come sooner or later just like all Huntsmen. The real question is whether or not it will be by Salem's hand or not"

"Guess we'll find out"

"I suppose we will. I'm looking forward to the day we bring Atlas to it's knees. You may as well know you shouldn't be looking at Mr. Schnee if you want answers to our plans, he knows nothing. Although I'm sure my office holds plenty of secrets that may interest you, if you know where to look" he grinned menacingly "It was your mother's after all"

Suddenly the doors behind Watts were blown apart by Yang as she and the rest of her team entered with Ozpin accompanying them "Slade! Penny! Are you okay?" Ruby called concerned.

"Ms. Polendina and Mr. Stroud are both fine I can assure you of that" Watts answered turning to face them.

"Why are you doing this Doctor? What do you have to gain from working with Salem?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"The destruction of Atlas of course" he grinned "That's all you're going to learn for now, children. If you wish to know more, you should try looking in my office here in this building, but I warn you to be wary of it's walls. They've eyes of their own, they hold secrets you may not be ready for" he began laughing as he was engulfed in darkness disappearing from the room.

"He got away again!" Weiss whined.

"What happened here?" Ozpin asked as Ruby rushed past him grabbing Slade and Penny into a hug.

"I was so worried about you guys!"

"Don't worry about us" Slade chuckled "We can take care of ourselves-"

"What happened?" Ozpin asked impatiently, surprising everyone. Slade sighed looking at Penny as she shared a nervous expression with him.

"Penny led me in here to find evidence against Watts but it was a trap, there were two Paladin's waiting for us" he explained "Watts planned to have me killed, Penny saved my life" Penny looked back at him in shock.

"Way to go, Penny!" Yang laughed punching her in the shoulder.

"Thank you!" Ruby yelled crushing her into a hug. Ozpin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Watts made it very clear his office had something we would want to know, do you think it could be a trap?" Ozpin asked Slade curiously.

"I think we'd be fools to rule out the chance of a trap. Honestly though, I don't think he thought I was going to survive his ambush" Slade explained.

"Ruby, Weiss, I want you both to take Winter and JNPR to help keep watch over the city, I get the feeling the attack is coming sooner rather than later" Ozpin ordered.

"What about us?" Blake asked.

"The three of you will be assisting Qrow in searching Watts office for anything we might wish to know, I don't want us getting too distracted by this as it could just be another diversion to keep us away from what they're really doing. I'm going to be sending both Ruby and Weiss with Taiyang to scout the walls for anything suspicious. Report back to me if you find anything" Qrow ordered motioning for Ruby and Weiss to follow behind him.

"Great we get to sift through papers again" Yang groaned. Slade kissed Ruby on the cheek as she passed by him.

"Be careful, I love you"

"I should be the one telling you that" she laughed "Love you too" she added just before hurrying to catch up with Ozpin.

"Make sure he doesn't go dying on us again" Weiss ordered Blake and Yang earning a nod from them in return.

"It happened one time!" Slade protested.

* * *

Watts appeared in front of his chair at the table with Salem and the rest of the members waiting eagerly, he finished his laugh as he sat down.

"Is Slade dead?" Cinder asked hardly able to contain her unease.

"It went just as Salem predicted, I passed on the message as you desired" he answered earning a grin from Salem "I told the young Stroud to keep searching my office and to steer clear of the walls"

"Good" she turned to face Cinder "Not only do we have the power to inflict pain, we also have the power to plant seeds of doubt in receptive hearts" she explained.

"I understand, Master" Salem nodded turning her attention forward.

"Slade will soon begin to doubt himself, that will cause him to hesitate, and that hesitation will turn into rage. That rage will fuel him to rid himself of his apprehension and move forward. This will pave the way for the future I desire" she grinned maliciously.

"There's something I've meant to ask" Cinder began but was stopped by Salem's hand.

"About Roman... the poor fool. How long can he chase after the emotion of love when it never existed in the first place?" she mused aloud "Roman's inability to separate himself from Neo and now Slade as well is the reason he deserves nothing more than our pity" Salem answered.

"Why did you want Slade to find it?" Mercury asked curiously "I thought we wanted to keep your secret away from Ozpin"

"The time has come for us to finally kill Ozpin and end this dreaded cycle of war I have been trapped in for the last thousand years. Slade is the key to everything, the girl is his only weakness. Finding out the truth will devastate her and her comrades. Slade won't allow it to happen, so he will come to me... that is when my time will come and the only real threat to our plans will be out of the way, freeing me to kill Ozpin once and for all" she explained.

"Then why order Adam Taurus to kill him? What do you hope to gain?" Emerald asked confused.

"Everything will be clear in time. I have foreseen what comes... for now you must be patient" she answered.

* * *

Yang, Blake, Slade and Qrow searched Watts office diligently for anything related to Salem and her plans. Yang approached the wall opposite the Stroud's portrait, she slammed her fist into it angrily causing the whole room to shake slightly.

"Damn it! We've been at this for hours! There's nothing here!" she yelled her eyes flashing red.

"There's gotta be something here" Qrow insisted tearing through his desk "We just have to be patient, I believe we'll know it when we see it"

Slade sighed exasperatedly as he placed another folder onto the desk "More useless information" he shook his head "I'm going outside for some fresh air" he announced turning to leave.

"We're all frustrated, Yang. We cannot let it get to us, if something is here and we missed it because we gave up how would you feel?" she asked.

"Like a failure again... alright let's keep looking, I'm sure we'll find something here if we can be patient" Yang sighed.

Slade made his way up to the roof overlooking the city, he slammed his fist into the railing "Why couldn't Watts have just left us some sort of clue!" he sighed leaning against the railing annoyed.

"Perhaps he already did and you're too distracted to find it" a voice called. Slade looked up to come face to face with Raven standing over him.

"What do you want?" he sighed in annoyance.

"Salem is planning to attack Atlas very soon, maybe even today. You're not going to be able to stand against the forces she's throwing at you this time. Yang could be hurt or killed... I cannot allow that to happen"

"But you're not going to do anything about it. You're just going to have me convince her to run away abandoning her friends so she can survive. Don't you hear how selfish you're being?" Slade asked.

"I'm doing the best I can!" she yelled.

"You refuse to help Yang because you hate Ozpin so much you cannot see past your hatred!" Slade shot back "Mother's would do anything for the safety of their daughters, even work with people they don't like... so tell me what that makes you"

"You cannot hope to stand against Salem, no one can!"

"We can" Slade crossed his arms over his chest defiantly, Raven scoffed.

"Really? You think you're gonna be the ones to finally best Salem when everyone else, including Ozpin has failed?" she asked.

"I believe we deserve the chance to try" he answered.

"You couldn't even defeat Cinder in her current condition, she's got the power of three maidens"

"We'll just see when the time comes won't we" he replied causing Raven to scowl in annoyance.

"I wonder if you won't change your mind... once I defeat you" Raven launched her blade forward, Slade sliced Obsidian from it's sheath clashing with the hilt of Raven's causing it to flip through the air remaining in front of him. Grabbing her blade with his free hand he dashed forward clashing with two ice blades she created in her hands.

"Your power is no match for my magic, Slade" she taunted.

"Magic is only an illusion" he replied leaping back as she struck for his chest then his legs forcing him to flip backward onto the railing. Slade blocked her next strike clashing blades with her own then pushed her back as he launched himself over her head. Twisting around he threw her blade at her smashing through her ice blades forcing her onto her back using her legs to catch her own blade as she rolled to her feet her blade in hand.

"Impressive, Slade. I must say I wasn't expecting you to use my own weapon against me so easily"

"I'm a swordsmen myself after all" he replied with a shrug. Raven created a fire blade in her free hand as her primary blade was covered in ice.

"Let's have some fun" she grinned launching herself forward. Slade arced his blade over his head blocking her strike, pushing them to his left he kicked her in the chest throwing her backward rolling up to her feet as Slade struck for her head. Raven easily blocked his strikes with her blades flipping over his final strike.

"Qrow trusted you, Raven. Believed you two would always have each other's backs. Then you betrayed him"

"Trust is overrated, the only thing Ozpin believes in is violence" she shot back scowling "Qrow should've trusted me and abandoned Ozpin's deluded cause"

"Like you said... trust is overrated" Slade leapt toward her striking madly as she barely managed to deflect and dodge his attacks, she leapt onto a nearby pole balancing herself as Slade followed spinning as he did forcing her to leap back down to avoid his blade. Raven waited for Slade to follow only to duck backward away from him then using the air around them pushed him into the railing. Raven leapt toward him striking once more only to meet his blade pushing it away from Slade into the ground as he balanced himself on his back over the railing, he kicked her in the chest with both legs then stood up smirking at her.

Suddenly four Atlas soldiers came onto the roof aiming their guns at her "Cease hostility!" one ordered. Raven leapt off the roof "Raven!" Slade called following after her. They clashed once more on a lower level of the building both striking wildly. Slade was kicked in the shoulder throwing him down to a lower level, landing on onto his chest, Raven leapt after him.

"Look out!" Yang called from beside him surprising them both. Slade rolled onto his back using his gauntlets to deflect her blades. Rolling away from her he kicked back into Raven's chest as she attempted to attack him stumbling her back. Raven struck both her blades for him only to clash with his own on the left and her right hand caught in his left. Slade squeezed her hand until she dropped the blade from the pain, it vanished as it touched the floor. Pulling her arm back she clashed her blade with his own once more giving him enough leverage to force Raven to her knees.

Raven desperately struck with her fist pushing Slade back and attacked madly trying to defeat him only for Slade to use his Semblance to slam her into a nearby wall. Raven fell from the indentation in the wall panting for breath, standing up straight she sheathed her blade as she brushed off her shoulder.

"I admit you're very skilled. Much more powerful than I had anticipated, but being able to stop one maiden doesn't mean you can match Cinder, it means nothing in comparison to Salem's power" she explained. Blake and Qrow arrived beside Yang as she finished her statement.

"Doesn't mean we can't give it our best" Slade replied.

"You have already earned my respect, but it's not enough. Salem won't respect your drive to fight her, she's going to kill you the moment you meet her"

"And if she doesn't?" Slade asked.

"Then you should be all the more terrified" Raven answered slicing her blade through the air creating a portal "Think back on what Watts told you before he left... he's left you a clue" she added sheathing her blade as she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Yang called after her stopping Raven in her tracks "Fight with us, together we can stand against Salem" Raven smiled.

"I wished I believed as you do... but nothing can change what I have seen, and nothing will convince me she can be stopped" she replied walking through the portal closing it behind her.

"What happened out here?" Qrow asked concerned.

"Raven tried to convince me to her side again, I refused and she decided to try and change my mind by defeating me in battle. Trying to show me how futile our attempts to fight Salem will be" he explained.

"What do you think she meant by Watts gave us a clue?" Blake asked.

"Only thing I remember him saying was to stay away from the walls" Yang shrugged.

"That's it!" Slade yelled in realization.

"What's it?" Yang asked confused.

"You're a genius!" he called rushing past her back into the building.

"I don't get it" Blake shrugged confused.

"Of course, he's hidden something" Qrow smirked quickly following Slade. Yang and Blake shared a look of confusion before shrugging it off and following them inside. Once they all entered the room they found Slade was combing the wall with his hands.

"Find anything?" Qrow asked hopefully.

"Listen" Slade replied knocking his knuckles onto the wall the sound echoing behind it.

"It's hollow" Blake smirked.

"Only one problem" Slade sighed "Can't break the wall down, I've already tried" he placed his hand onto the wall leaning against it annoyed.

"Then how are we supposed to-" Suddenly a bright white light glistened from the wall causing Slade to jump back, the wall had a handprint of where his hand was previously placed.

"Analyzing" a synthetic voice announced "Identity: Slade Stroud, age seventeen... processing... access granted. Welcome Mr. Stroud" the voice announced.

"Why'd it have you in it's system?" Qrow asked confused as the wall in front of them became a solid bright white vanishing to reveal a small hallway.

"I have no idea... but I plan to find out" he answered entering the hallway.

"Shouldn't we call Ozpin first?" Blake asked.

"Why don't we wait on that until we've seen what's in here" Yang suggested following behind Slade.

"Guess we should" Qrow agreed urging Blake along with him.

"I have a bad feeling about this" Blake sighed following the three of them inside.

Exiting the hallway onto a glass walkway they were able to see the room they had entered was a massive hangar completely empty save for the end of the walkway where a large computer sat lifelessly.

"What'd you think is back here?" Yang asked "Think Watts secrets are all hidden in this thing?" she added gesturing to the computer.

"I think we should find out" Qrow answered placing his hand onto the keyboard. The computer shot to life a screen popping up asking for a password "Damn it" he slammed his fist into the wall beside him.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked moving to see the screen "require password before entering the DTD dataspace" she read aloud.

"How exactly are we supposed to guess the password on this thing?" Yang asked annoyed.

"Maybe there's something we missed back in the office" Slade offered rushing back toward it.

"Wait for us!" Yang called as she and Blake followed behind him.

"I'll keep working on trying to find this password, I can access the rest of this computer just fine" Qrow explained as they left.

Slade entered the office and began frantically looking through the papers with Yang and Blake doing the same. Yang's aura flared in annoyance "Come on! Every time we find something we just have more question's!" she yelled angrily.

"Yang, Watt's gave us a clue, we need to keep calm-" Blake began.

"Of course" Slade chuckled interrupting her "Yang, you think you can move that portrait?" he asked, Yang shrugged.

"Easy" she picked up the portrait placing it down on the floor she found a faded diagram on the wall of what looked to be a door and a picture of team STRQ "What's this?" she asked surprised.

"Atlas... Main... Security... Key..." Blake read struggling to see the faded text "Door... to..."

"Think it's supposed to be a clue?" Yang asked removing the picture "Why would there be a picture of Qrow's team here?" she added confused. Slade stared thoughtfully at the picture looking between it and the wall drawing.

"Door... To... Darkness?" Blake finished reading.

"There!" Slade pointed to the drawing "D... T... D" he pointed to each letter as he said them "Just like from the computer" he grinned.

"DTD!" Yang yelled excitedly.

"Find something?" Qrow asked entering the room.

"This, it must be the dataspace" Slade answered pointing to the drawing "The DTD or Door To Darkness"

"Well what do you know... that still leaves the password" Qrow sighed looking at Yang staring at the picture "Where'd you get that?"

"Was on the wall with the drawing" Yang shrugged not knowing it's purpose.

"Did somebody mention the Door To Darkness?" Ozpin asked from the doorway his eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Professor!" Yang called excitedly "We found something!"

"Excellent" Ozpin smiled closing the door behind him "You mentioned the Door To Darkness?" he asked once more.

"Yes, Professor. We're looking for the secret password" Blake answered.

"Password?" Ozpin asked not understanding "Like a code?"

"We've been looking for the password to a computer we found behind this false wall" Qrow explained.

"I'm not sure I understand how one relates to the other"

"There's a dataspace on the computer we can't access without the password called the DTD. The wall drawing over there suggests it's short for Door To Darkness" Slade explained.

"Was there anything else with the drawing?" Ozpin asked.

"Just this picture of my team" Qrow answered holding it up "Not sure how that relates"

Ozpin tapped his chin thoughtfully "How exactly did you get access to the computer, was there anything else on it?"

"Slade's handprint apparently gave us access to the hidden room, I searched the computer pretty thoroughly. Thing is, the only data on the computer is notes and studies on the Grimm and Maidens all input by Slade's parents" Qrow explained.

"You said this picture was with the diagram?" Ozpin asked earning a nod from Yang "Why don't you try typing your teammates names into the computer" he offered. Qrow led them into the computer room.

"I really don't think this is gonna work" Qrow sighed typing them in "Okay... Summer... Taiyang... Raven... Qrow" he whispered as he typed, the computer beeped as the screen changed to multiple documents "We're in?" he asked in disbelief.

"Why do you think they chose your teammates names as the password?" Blake asked confused.

"Maybe you can find out for us, I originally came here to get Qrow to begin with" Ozpin said surprising the group.

"What'd you need me for?" he asked.

"Raven is here, as you no doubt know having seen her fight with Slade not long ago. Ironwood wants you keeping an eye out for her with Taiyang. Figures the two of you know her best" he explained. Qrow sighed shaking his head annoyed.

"Guess that means you kids are on your own for now, take a look at the data and see if you can find anything useful" Qrow ordered following Ozpin out.

"I shall be back shortly to assist you" Ozpin called back as they left "Get started on copying the data and downloading it onto your scroll. You should be able to send it to the rest of the team that way so we don't have only a few of us in the know" he smiled back at them.

"Got it" Slade approached the computer console cracking his knuckles as Yang and Blake joined him.

"Looks like it's doing... something" Blake pointed out.

"It wants to know what we want to know" Slade added.

"Watts plans" Yang grinned typing the information in. The screen responded with a large red sign reading "Data error" Yang sighed dejectedly "No way... not even the computer knows" she turned walking away "How is it that Watts personal computer doesn't know what he's plotting with Salem?" she asked leaning against the wall. Slade stood in her place as he began typing on the keyboard.

"What're you doing?" Blake asked.

"I thought I'd ask the computer what information it has locked away in the DTD" he answered, a large page came with a list of the names of Salem's followers.

"The data is corrupt" the computer announced.

"How about Salem herself?" Slade wondered typing her name "There!" a picture of her face displayed on the screen.

"The data is corrupt" the computer repeated.

"Stupid computer!" Yang yelled slamming her fist onto the keyboard.

"Yang!" Slade yelled as the computer screen jumbled the tabs.

"Sorry" she lifted her hands in surrender edging away from the computer.

"What's that?" Blake asked pointing toward one of the tabs, enlarging it showed a picture of Summer Rose with multiple files of information and personal notes.

"That's Ruby's... our mom" Yang corrected.

"I swear I have seen her somewhere before" Slade mused aloud trying desperately to remember,

"Looks like you've got things working" Ozpin chuckled from behind them.

"Professor!" Blake yelled surprised "I wasn't expecting you back so soon"

"Good job, this computer should be able to tell us what we need to know"

"But, Professor. The computer keeps saying the data is corrupted or nonexistent" Yang sighed.

"All we've got is a picture of Summer and some files along with it" Slade added.

"What're you all doing in here?" Ironwood asked sternly from the doorway.

"James, you're just in time. We've found Watts secret computer room, we might be able to find-"

"This isn't Watts computer room" Ironwood interrupted Ozpin with a sigh "It belongs to somebody else"

"Somebody else?" Slade asked "You don't mean, does this room belong to my parents?" he asked.

"They've used the computer a few times before, but no; this room doesn't belong to them" he answered.

"Why was Slade's handprint able to access this room then?" Blake asked.

"Yeah! Slade was able to come in here without a problem. Why would anyone do that if they weren't Slade's parents?" Yang asked curiously.

"Because they changed it when they last used this room to ensure I could never get rid of the information here and no one else could access it but him" Ironwood explained.

"Then who did this computer belong to, James?" Ozpin asked suspiciously.

"I-" Ironwood was interrupted by the ground shaking violently, everyone struggled to stand as the shaking began to stop.

"What the hell was that?!" Slade asked.

"Report!" Ozpin yelled connecting his scroll to the rest of their team members.

"The southern wall was just obliterated, sir!" Glynda yelled.

"Grimm are pouring into the hole attacking the city, the mechs aren't responding" Winter added.

"The town's security system is targeting us instead of the Grimm, looks like Watts designed the security to sabotage it when they attacked" Qrow announced.

"Everyone protect the city!" Ironwood ordered bolting out of the room with Ozpin beside him.

"Let's go! They're going to need our help" Yang yelled leading Slade and Blake after them.

Once they were gone a hooded figure appeared from a dark portal in the center of the room, looking up the figure held out it's hand destroying a camera with a orb of dark energy. Approaching the computer the figure held out it's hand placing a disc into the tray, typing in the password. Removing the hood Salem took the disk from it's place once it emerged walking out the opposite way the others had exited, descending into the hangar the floor opened to reveal a lower level and a ramp appeared just before she walked along it. Stepping off the ramp caused it to disappear the floor closing over Salem, she began descending the long spiral staircase leading down to the bottom floor. Salem walked down the long hallway coming upon a large white door she opened it entering the small empty room save for a chair in the center closing the door behind her, she relaxed into the chair sighing in relief.

"It's been far too long... old friend" she grinned malevolently.

* * *

 **Who could Salem be talking to? Who's computer is it? Why is Raven still sticking around? Find out next time!**


	25. War

**Chapter Twenty-Four! I'm so glad you guys are all liking this story so far, I just want to thank you guys again for the overwhelming support I've been getting up to this point, I hope I'm worthy of it all. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: War**

Slade, Yang and Blake exited the building to find Ozpin and Ironwood nowhere to be found. Oobleck and Port were surrounded by the corpses of Grimm.

"Where's Professor Ozpin?" Slade asked.

"Ozpin headed for the bailey, you'd better head over there" Glynda answered.

"Come and get it you hulking horrors!" Port yelled charging toward more oncoming Grimm.

"We'll keep the Grimm here from reaching the citizens" Oobleck announced following after him.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Blake asked concerned,

"You needn't worry about us, we can take care of ourselves just fine. Now go!" Glynda assured following after her colleagues.

"Got it" Yang nodded rushing past them toward that direction followed by Blake and Slade. Arriving they found a multitude of corpses littering the ground around the destroyed wall, Grimm and Atlesian soldiers alike. Slade didn't stop, rushing to the edge of the cliff overlooking the battlefield, most of the fighting was taking place in the cliffs surrounding the approach to the wall.

"No..." Slade's gasped, his eye's expressing his shock. Thousands of Grimm charged toward the city with the massive Goliath taking up the rear.

Pyrrha's shield came spiraling back into her hand as it decapitated multiple Grimm around her, she dropped onto her knees exhaustedly, Jaune rushed to her side helping Pyrrha to her feet.

"Don't give out on me just yet, Nora and Ren are going to need our help too" Jaune ordered gaining a smirk from Pyrrha in return.

"Yes, team leader" she kissed him on the cheek before rushing forward into the oncoming Grimm army.

"W-wait for me!" Jaune called quickly following behind her.

Ironwood flipped over the head of an Ursa firing his pistol into it's head as he landed, he turned firing several rounds dropping the Grimm before him. A single Beowulf swung it's claws for his chest just before he leapt away from it firing once more dropping it onto the ground easily, he twisted around slamming his metal hand into the face of an Ursa crushing it's skull.

"You won't be taking my city so easily" he growled.

Neo ran to the edge of a cliff with an Ursa chasing after her, turning around she leapt forward placing her hands onto it's head pushing off away from it, the Ursa turned around meeting Roman's cane causing it to stumble clumsily over the cliff side.

"Nice work" he smirked at Neo, she gave a thumbs up in response. They both noticed the Grimm army rushing toward them "Ready for round two?" he asked aiming his cane for them as she unsheathed her blade from her umbrella. Neo grunted in response charging forward "I'll take that as a yes" he smirked firing into the crowd of Grimm.

Tai and Qrow stood back to back surrounded by hundreds of Grimm in the cliffs around them, Qrow's blade pointed at the south side and Tai's gauntlets covering his arms as he prepared for battle against the north side.

"Think you can handle this many?" Qrow asked.

"Well... might be tough if one more shows up" he replied with a playful smile. Qrow scoffed with a smirk.

"Then that'll have to be the one I take care of"

"What, you're fighting too?" he asked in mock confusion. Qrow chuckled as his blade transformed into a scythe just before they both charged different directions attacking the Grimm head on.

Winter and Weiss combined their glyphs fighting beside their own summons as they launched themselves around slicing through Grimm easily, Nora slammed her hammer into the ground launching the Grimm into the air as Ren fired into them killing them all before they made contact with solid ground.

"There's too many of them" Winter groaned as more came their way.

"Then we're just gonna have to thin em out!" Nora yelled charging headlong into battle.

"Guess we'll make sure she doesn't get herself killed then" Weiss scoffed playfully as she followed behind her.

"We always are" Ren agreed with a sigh.

"Why is it your friends are always so crazy?" Winter asked exasperatedly.

Dozens of Grimm were being slaughtered by Penny's blades as she stood triumphantly on the cliff above them, she smiled as she weaved her hands around causing the blades to spin slicing through the Grimm easily. Sun stood below her, facing the oncoming group of Grimm charging for him as he held his nunchucks ready to fight, twirling them in his hands he expertly killed off several as they came toward him, Sun easily ducked and dodged their attacks as he struck back with his own weapons.

"Who's hungry!? Come get some!" he taunted over the sound of gunshots from his weapons.

"That's a lot of Grimm" Blake pointed out.

"Think we'll be able to handle this many?" Yang asked somewhat nervous.

"Where's Ruby?" Slade asked looking desperately through the battlefield for her. Ozpin flipped through the air from the outer wall in front of them, he held his hands out firmly indicating they were not to go any further.

"You three need to protect the relic, Salem's followers could be searching for it as we speak" he ordered.

"What about Ruby?" Slade asked.

"All of our friends are fighting out there and you just want us to abandon them for the relic?" Yang protested.

"Don't worry. There's already plenty of Huntsmen in this fight, we can handle this" he assured turning his head toward them.

"I'm not abandoning my friends, if you're so worried about the relics than you go protect them" Slade argued.

"What part of my order did you not understand?" Ozpin asked sternly.

"The part where I leave my friends to fight alone. I'm going to help them, even if I need to go through you to do it" Slade warned.

"Yang, Blake, I'm ordering you both to make sure Slade does as he is told" Yang and Blake looked between each other uncertain, they both smiled nodding toward the other.

"We understand" Yang replied.

"Good, watch for danger. We don't know who'll be coming for the relic with Cinder"

"You be careful too" Blake added.

"I'm not going anywhere" Slade protested.

"Slade, do as you told" Blake scolded.

"You're coming with us whether you want to or not" Yang added smirking.

"C'mon, Slade" Blake winked nodding her head toward Ozpin. Slade smiled in understanding.

"Fine"

"Let's go already then!" Yang yelled. Slade mouthed a thank you to them both.

"Let's do it" Blake grinned excitedly.

"Right" Slade smiled rushing past Ozpin followed by Yang and Blake.

"What're you doing!?" he asked shocked as they leapt down the cliff.

"Sorry, Professor!" Slade called back.

"Hope you can forgive us!" Yang called sheepishly. Ozpin watched them as they rushed to the battlefield, he sighed placing his hand on his forehead exasperatedly.

* * *

Slade, Yang and Blake all entered what looked to be a crumbling ruin separating the city from the rest of the Grimm army, a dark portal opened revealing Adam Taurus standing before them.

"You're all looking pretty lively" he smirked "Something going on I don't know about?" he asked tauntingly.

"Move before we move you" Slade growled.

"Now that's just plain rude" he shot back.

"You're not going to stop us from helping our friends, we have more important things to worry about right now" Blake said feigning disinterest.

"Silence, traitor" he pointed to Blake, he removed his blade from it's sheath preparing to strike.

"What's the plan here?" Yang asked.

"Last time I fought this guy I got hurt pretty bad, this time we take him together" Slade answered.

"Sounds good to me" Yang cracked her knuckles as her gauntlets encased her arms.

"It's a plan I can get behind" Blake agreed unsheathing her blades.

Slade placed his hand on Yang's shoulder causing her to appear behind Adam, he turned around as Blake's blade flew past his ear. Yang caught the blade as Adam unsheathed his own twisting around he sliced for her head, she slid onto her knees cutting at his leg with the blade as she stood back up, she flipped backward over his blade tossing her's back to Blake as she leapt past her catching it in her hand. Ducking back under Adam's second swing she stabbed her blade into his abdomen causing him to yell out in agony grabbing the blade as he yelled. Blake dropped onto her back, then pushed herself back up using her own body weight trying to dislodge the blade from him, she jumped up kicking him in the chest pushing him backward into a dark portal opening behind him.

Adam appeared from another behind her holding the hilt of his blade with both hands as he stabbed for her back, Slade rolled forward between them blocking with Obsidian, pushing up on the blade he flipped Adam forward toward Yang as she swept for his legs, Adam flipped backward over her leg. Arcing his blade up as he swung forcing Yang to lean back away from the blade then duck under a horizontal slice meeting Slade's blade instead, twisting the blade he stabbed back for Yang only to clash with her gauntlets instead. Flipping over Slade's strike for his legs he swung for is face only to have his blade knocked from his hands. Blake leapt forward using both her legs to kick him in the chest throwing Adam onto his back, rolling onto his knees.

"We don't want to kill you, but we will" Slade warned.

"I kinda want to kill him" Yang shrugged.

"I'll not die by your hand!" Adam yelled reaching for Slade's throat with his metallic arm only for Adam's own blade to appear embedded through it.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be so bold when it's clear you've already lost" Slade suggested as Yang smashed her fist into his mask shattering it, his eyes were pale blue.

"Can't believe you dated this guy" she scoffed to Blake.

"I'm glad I realized who he really was before it was too late" Blake sighed.

"Allow me to show you exactly who I am-!" he yelled in rage using his one good arm to strike for Yang, Blake severed it with her blade. Adam stared at it in shock "You didn't!" he yelled in disbelief. Blake spun around severing his head from his shoulders.

"I just did" she replied sheathing her blade.

"Kick ass, Blake" Yang high fived her.

"Let's stay focused, we still have a battle to win here" Slade turned toward the Grimm army on the horizon. Ozpin cleared his throat from behind them as he approached a stern expression on his face. They looked away shamefully, Ozpin looked toward the corpse of Adam Taurus then smiled lightly.

"You sure have a lot of friends to help" they looked up at him in surprise "We need to all pull together and finish this battle" he instructed.

"We can do that" Slade smiled.

"Let's get to it then!" he ordered as a loud roar tore through the chasm.

"That Goliath doesn't sound happy" Blake groaned.

"It'll be more upset when I sever it's head from it's shoulders" Slade replied leaping off the nearby ledge descending into the army of Grimm below.

"I hate it when he does that" Ozpin sighed.

"Guess we'd better go catch up with him then" Yang offered with a shrug.

Slade placed his hood and mask over his face as he fell, using his hand he steadied himself as he landed charging forward to the oncoming Grimm, Weiss could be seen fighting in his direction. Two Beowolves turned toward him, he slid underneath their strikes as he passed by continuing to run past them as he rose to his feet, they turned toward him confused. Two Ursa charged toward Slade, he leapt midstride between them kicking them both onto their backs as he spun around, using his hand to catch himself as he slid to a stop behind them mere inches from Weiss.

"Nice of you to drop by!" Weiss called from behind him removing her blade from the chest of a Beowulf.

"Sorry, had a bit of a Taurus problem" he replied not standing from his position "Where's Ruby?" he asked concerned.

"I haven't seen her since the fighting started-" she replied, the ground started to shake as the Goliath got closer.

"Problem!" Slade called as the ground rippled beneath them splitting apart, the ground next to them rising up from the force. Slade gripped the ledge created by the split rolling himself atop it running toward the tip, as he neared it the slope became too steep to run up causing him to slide downward. Slade unsheathed his blade embedding it into the ground stopping himself from falling as he slid to a stop, he climbed to the tip coming face to face with the Goliath, Weiss used her glyphs to reach the top with Slade running up the side easily.

"Show off" he scoffed.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Weiss asked looking at him with a confident smirk. Slade transformed his blade into rifle form ready to attack.

"Probably not" he answered with a shrug. Weiss formed a glyph on the ground around her, Slade aimed his rifle toward the charging Goliath, he fired using Weiss's glyph to increase the speed of the bullet, piercing the Goliath's eye sent it into a rage as it smashed through the ground they stood on. Slade grabbed Weiss by the arm teleporting them to safety, a single Beowulf roared angrily behind him. Slade slung his rifle over his shoulder firing it into the Grimm's head.

"We're gonna have to do more damage than that to take that beast down" Nora said approaching them.

"I think I have an idea for that" Weiss smirked.

"We'll follow your lead then" Slade replied transforming Obsidian into it's blade form as Weiss made a glyph on the ground beneath her.

The Goliath reached them stomping it's foot down toward them, Weiss launched herself spinning with dust flowing off the edge of her blade into it's foot holding it in place as it continued to push as hard as it could downward and her spinning increased. Slade moved Nora above the creature's head she fired Magnhild launching herself onto it's head slamming it down into the earth grinning. Qrow's scythe rested underneath the beasts throat, Winter created a glyph beneath him preparing to launch him.

"Now, Winter!" Slade yelled using his semblance to distort the air around the Goliath's neck, Qrow easily sliced through the extremely thick throat of the beast launching the head backward as it severed. Slade dropped onto his knees from the exertion as the head descended toward him, hundreds of Grimm surrounding him prepared to attack.

"Slade!" Blake called concerned, Yang launched herself using her gauntlets grabbing Slade as she passed by, pulling him along with her to safety. The Goliath's head crushed the Grimm surrounding the Slade's previous location.

"Aw, we missed the fun part" Yang whined disappointed as she helped Slade up to his feet.

"Thanks" Slade coughed out, receiving a crisp nod in response.

"Anytime" The Grimm army suddenly froze as if compelled by some unknown force.

"What happened to them?" Blake asked confused.

"Beats me kid" Qrow shrugged.

"I've never seen them freeze like this before" Slade crossed his arms.

"I have" Ozpin announced approaching them, concern spread across his features.

"Hey!" Nora yelled pointing up toward a figure above them, a hooded figure stood on the cliff above them. Removing the hood Salem looked down upon the Goliath corpse with annoyance.

"Salem!" Ozpin called charging up the cliff toward her.

"Let's go!" Slade called only to be surrounded by the remaining Grimm, an army of over a thousand Beowolves, Ursa, and Beringel along with Nevermores circling the sky above them.

"We can't let Salem get away!" Yang yelled frustrated.

"Then let's cut our way out!" Qrow began slicing through the army of them.

"See you on the other side!" Slade called back charging the Grimm army with his rifle in hand. Slade fired into the shoulder of an Ursa then into the head of a Beowulf standing on a boulder beside him, he leapt onto the opposite shoulder of the Ursa firing into it's head as he leapt into the air. Slade's rifle became a sword as he descended into the army of Grimm, dozens of them dropping at once. Slade stood over the corpse of an Beringel removing his blade from it, he ran toward an nearby bolder sliding toward it to avoid the Nevermore's feathers impaling the ground around him. Stopping in a crouched position, Slade used his arm to steady his aim as he fired his pistol back killing a charging Ursa, he ducked behind the boulder for safety, the Grimm suddenly were overtaken by a large barrage of explosions.

"I can't help but notice the only places we go to are the ones where monsters are trying to kill us" Yang smirked placing her hands on her hips.

"That's not true" Slade replied "People try to kill us just as much as the Grimm do" he chuckled.

* * *

"Salem" Ozpin called from behind her overlooking the city destruction.

"How long has it been since we've last had the chance to speak like this, my love?" she asked looking up wistfully at the sky.

"You know you could've stopped this madness at any time, why have you continued on this path to destroy everything? Was killing our daughters not enough for you?" he asked.

"You only have yourself to blame for that, you're the one that did this to me. You changed my very nature... I'm unable to feel remorse for what I do anymore, I am only able to feel negative emotions: Pain, anger, rage, hatred... I truly wish I could feel what I once was but because of you I cannot, I can't even remember what real happiness feels like" she answered.

"Haven't we both paid enough for my mistakes, hasn't the world paid enough?" he asked a stray tear dropping from his eye, his hand closing into a tight fist around his cane.

"Does it feel good knowing you tried? Knowing that all that remains is the slow, cold, brutal death of the fools who will all die in vain?" Salem asked pacing in front of him "How does it feel knowing your efforts will fail? Knowing all you've built will be torn down?" she continued.

"I know my friends will stop you, even if I'm not strong enough to do it myself" he answered.

"Send your guardians, they will fail. Legends and heroes will crumble and fall. You're not going to prevail with them"

"Humanity is stronger than you give them credit for, they've kept you at bay for this long haven't they?" he taunted.

"Form your armies, dream your dreams, make your plans and plot your schemes" she listed off slowly walking toward him "Send your fighters, one and all... then in battle watch them fall" she grinned.

"You've taken the lives of too many of my friends throughout the years, it ends now. I'm done allowing them to die on my behalf" he pointed his cane toward her mere inches from her face.

"It was you who ended their lives... you made them dig their own graves with your dark, sick, cruel design. You convinced them their world could be saved"

"I told them the truth-"

"Have you no shame? Signing them up for YOUR war, training them to fight what they can't beat... your sins are what they pay for"

"I told you I'm done letting others die on my account!"

"Sacrifice them for your needs as much as you want. Slaughter is coming, the end is drawing near. You'll regret your deeds" she pushed the cane away from her face "Legends and heroes scattered in time, maidens and kingdoms wrapped up in a lie" she continued "These children you mislead, you'll watch them all bleed... strength will not bring victory"

"What exactly do you hope to accomplish?" he asked not understanding.

"I want to watch you burn" she answered simply as she turned away from him.

"Professor Ozpin!" Slade called as he, Weiss and Blake arrived behind him.

"Looks like your friends have finally arrived, they're strong... stronger than your previous choice" Salem chuckled.

"What's the plan here, Professor?" Weiss asked ready to fight.

"I wouldn't attack if I were you" Salem warned "You wouldn't want anything to happen to Ms. Rose now would you?" she asked grinning.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"What have you done with her!?" Slade yelled furiously.

"Nothing... yet" she cackled wickedly as the dark portal enveloped her.

"Stop!" Ozpin called leaping into the portal after her.

"Professor, wait!" Blake called as it disappeared leaving them alone on the cliff overlooking the city.

"Damn it!" Slade slammed his fist into the ground angrily "DAMN IT!" he yelled again.

"Slade-" Blake tried.

"Way to fall right into her trap" Raven called from behind them leaning against the stone wall.

"What trap?" Weiss asked.

"It's a set up by Salem, she's is using Ruby to make you second guess yourselves. Salem knows every decision you make from now on will be mired in concern for her well being, giving her the opportunity to claim the relics for herself. That's her master plan" she explained pushing herself off from the wall, walking closer to them.

"What exactly does she want with the relics?" Blake asked.

"Man you guys are slow" she chuckled shaking her head "She's told her followers that she plans on using it to break Ozpin's curse and finally kill him for good. But that's just part of it, what she wants is immortality, omnipotence, and to destroy everything that exists " Raven explained.

"Where's Ruby?" Slade asked.

"Look, kid. About Ruby... I'm sorry"

"You're sorry?" Slade asked confused.

"Salem took her back to where I have been hiding out, she knows about me too now. I've been teleporting to Vernal's corpse as a way to escape unnecessary complications. She's already won, we just haven't caught up to her yet" Raven shook her head in frustration "I was hoping we'd have more time-"

"Raven" Salem's voice called appearing between them.

"Uh oh" Raven scowled using her Semblance to escape.

"I'll ensure she doesn't bother you ever again" Salem announced as her portal vanished.

"I don't care about any of that!" Slade yelled furiously.

"If it's Ruby you're worried about then don't be. I promise I'm taking very good care of her"

"Take me to her" Slade pleaded. Salem raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Is she that important to you?" she asked.

"More than anything" he answered.

"Show me how important" she ordered. Slade hesitated for a moment, then dropped onto his knees placing his hands together pathetically.

"Please" he pleaded shocking Weiss and Blake, Salem shared their expression.

"So you truly do care for her... if that's the case..." she grinned malevolently "The answer is no" Slade jumped back away from her stopping next to Blake and Weiss.

"You son of a bitch!" Weiss yelled angrily.

"Are you angry? Do you hate me?" she asked "Show me your rage"

Blake attempted to run forward being stopped by Slade's hand on her shoulder holding her in place. Slade charged forward leaping into the air, unsheathing his blade ready to strike. Salem raised her hand causing the ground beneath Slade to rise dramatically slamming him into it, Slade bounced upward slamming back down into the elevated ground as it rose. Looking up from his place as the ground stopped he watched as Salem soared above him rising the earth beneath her at tremendous speed along with the ground behind him. Salem launched a black lightning bolt from her hands splitting apart into several smaller streams of lightning, striking Slade causing him to cry out in pain as it singed his clothes.

Weiss rushed past Slade quickly climbing the wall up to Salem using her glyphs. Salem held her left hand out toward the sky forming dozens of blades of darkness, using the wind around her she created a small cyclone catching the blades in it's current. Blake appeared beside Salem pulling her fist back to strike. Salem caught her fist in her right hand kicking Blake in the abdomen throwing her backward.

Weiss arrived slicing her blade for Salem only for her to backflip over the blade landing on the blades riding the cyclone. Holding her arms out in front of her she launched ice at Blake and Weiss forcing them to run around the blasts to avoid being frozen. Weiss used her glyphs to launch herself behind Salem, leaping up toward her she sliced downward from above Salem. Salem leapt from the cyclone forming a dark blade in her hand twisting around she used it to block her strikes grinning all the while.

Salem stabbed her blade into the ground streaming lightning through the earth toward Blake shocking her painfully, she jumped back atop the cyclone riding it up to a higher platform racing past the previously made platforms. Slade raced after her only to have the cyclone of blades split off hitting him in the back knocking him from the platform, Slade tumbled down the rock face stabbing his blade into it he slid down to a stop the wall breaking off with him still attached.

"Slade! Hold on!" Weiss yelled up to him.

"No kidding!" he yelled back.

Weiss looked down confused when she felt the earth shake around her, blades tore through the ground cutting through her aura as it threw her facedown into the ground beside their current, Slade flipped over the falling rock wall only to get caught in the barrage of blades as well dragging him up into the air as he attempted to block them with his gauntlets.

"Weiss! Are you alright?" Blake asked rushing to her side.

"Slade" she groaned out picking herself up to her knees. Weiss used her glyphs to form a ice shield around Slade defending him form the barrage of blades stopping them in their tracks, forming stagnant path of blades leading up above Salem's current position, his aura violently exploded outward destroying the blades and shield. Salem grinned hungrily as she watched him; Slade crashed into the ground behind her quickly picking himself up, he charged Salem with Obsidian in hand striking madly for her head, she easily blocked his strikes with the blade in her hand.

Salem slammed an ice blast into his left arm with her free hand throwing him backward, Slade rolled to his knees watching in horror as his arm slowly began to freeze climbing up to his shoulder. Blake appeared behind Salem pulling her arm back to strike with her blade. Salem ducked under her arm grabbing her by the head with her open hand dangling her over the edge of the platform.

"Let her go!" Slade yelled standing up, he was suddenly thrown from the platform by several more blades striking him in the chest from above.

"Blake!" Weiss called worriedly. Salem froze Blake solid dropping her off the ledge allowing her to helplessly fall toward the earth. Just before she crashed into the ground, Slade caught her sliding on his back, using his aura to absorb the shock keeping her from shattering upon impact.

"Is she alright?" Weiss asked rushing to his side.

"Keep Salem off my back for a minute" he answered holding his hand over her chest, Slade's aura began to melt the ice around Blake freeing her to move.

"Thanks" Blake shook the ice off her as she stood up.

"Any...time" Slade panted out giving a thumbs up. The ground returned to normal around them. Salem stood watching them intrigued as the ground finished setting itself.

"Quite impressive, you were able to save your friend even when you were in peril yourself"

Slade unsheathed his blade appearing in front of her, striking for her head. Slade was caught by some unknown force around his throat holding him in the air as Salem's hand looked to be holding something in front of her.

"I can offer you so much more power than they can, join with me and I shall give you more power than you could possibly imagine" Salem offered constricting her hand slightly.

"The... only thing... I care... about... is... Ruby" Slade chocked out. Salem's smile faded at his words.

"Such a shame... you have so much potential, yet you waste it on those unworthy of you"

"They've... earned it... you... never will"

"Even these beasts recognize what you're oblivious to, Slade" she said referring to the Grimm "Your nobility has blinded you, as ever"

Slade drew his pistol pointing it at Salem only to have it thrown from his hands by her free hand "She left little to chance didn't she?" she mused aloud "Time may have been your ally, but now it has abandoned you" she continued talking to someone not present.

"What're you talking about?" Blake asked confused.

"Sounds... like you're... crazy... to me" Slade choked out a laugh. Salem growled waving her hand back dismissively throwing Slade into the nearby wall, he dropped onto a boulder rolling off onto the ground groaning in pain.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked as she helped Slade to his knees.

"I believe it's time I have a talk with Ruby-"

Yang crashed into her side stumbling her back, Yang punched Salem in the face, followed by an uppercut and another powerful left hook, she clasped her hands together slamming them down onto her head then separated them into fists slamming them down onto Salem's shoulders . Yang grabbed her by the shoulders smashing her into the nearby wall, her eyes and aura both flaring red.

"Stay the hell away from my sister!" she yelled furiously.

Salem smiled placing her hands onto Yang's wrists slowly forcing them off her despite Yang's tremendous strength, releasing her left arm, Salem jabbed Yang between her collar bone causing her arm to go limp as she cried in pain. Yang swung her right arm up meeting Salem's forearm as she punched her in the face then again in the chest forcing the air from her lungs. Salem punched her in the face again using her opposite hand to block another useless attack then punched Yang in the abdomen and head-butting her grabbing Yang by the throat she punched her across the face through a stone pillar. Grabbing Yang by her hair she slammed her face into her knee then lifted Yang by her shoulder and abdomen holding her triumphantly above her head before slamming Yang onto her back.

"Yang!" Slade called worriedly as Blake and Weiss watched with great concern.

"I'll let you live despite your obstinacy, I won't be so gracious a second time" she whispered to a barely conscious Yang.

"None of you can hope to stand against my power, not even Ozpin is strong enough to kill me alone" Salem explained "I have over a thousand years of combat experience and powers you could only imagine. Ozpin's power has waned over time, mine have only grown" she continued proudly.

"That's some tough talk coming from someone who's always lost to Ozpin" Slade goaded causing Salem to scowl.

"I can admit that I have been stopped in the past, I have never been successful in obtaining the relics before... but neither have I been able to gain the power of the Maidens until now. Perhaps you should reevaluate your situation before taunting me again" she replied.

"Why bother? You're just going to kill us all once you've obtained the relics" Slade asked.

"The power I showed you today was only a taste of what I have to offer, you'd best rethink your position. If you want proof; ask the general" she gave a low chuckle as the darkness transported her elsewhere.

"She's... intimidating" Weiss admitted as she helped Blake pick up Slade resting him on their shoulders.

"We have to get Ruby back" Slade choked out.

"We will, right now you need rest and we need some answers" Blake replied.

"Right now isn't the time for rest-"

"Slade" Weiss said sternly "You need to recover before you can do anything, you're no help to us as dead weight"

"I... fine" he relented, General Ironwood arrived with JNPR, their weapons ready.

"What happened here?" Pyrrha asked rushing over to an injured Yang, Ren quickly helped get her off the ground.

"Salem" was Slade's one word answer.

"Salem was the one doing the freak show with the ground?" Jaune asked in shock as he began healing Yang with his Semblance.

"She's more powerful than we thought" Blake answered.

"Imagine what she could do if she had the relics" Weiss shuddered.

"She's never gonna get those, we'll stop her" Nora assured trying to boost their confidence.

"Where's Ozpin?" Ironwood asked his eyes scanning the area. Slade shook his head removing himself from his teammate's grasp barely standing on his own.

"I see" he sighed disappointed. Yang shot up her eyes filled with worry as Jaune finished healing her.

"She's got Ruby!" she yelled forcing herself onto her feet.

"Who's got Ruby?" Ren asked.

"Salem!" Yang yelled grabbing Ironwood by his collar "We have to get her back before she kills her or worse!"

"I understand, but we cannot just charge headlong into a situation we know nothing about" he removed her hands from him.

"You've got some explaining to do" Slade said exhaustedly.

"Indeed... we should regroup with the others first, they'll want to hear this"

* * *

Salem walked through the empty halls of a ruined temple, opening the doors before her. Ozpin sat suspended in the air with dozens of thin black blades over his entire body, Ozpin helpless watched as she stepped closer.

"Enjoying yourself, my love?" Salem asked mockingly, knowing he couldn't answer "Glad to hear it" she chuckled.

"Y-you...h-haven't...w-w-won...yet" he forced out painfully

"Clearly you're not feeling enough pain, seeing as you're still talking" she growled whipping her wrist up slightly forcing the blades deeper, Ozpin painfully groaned squeezing his eyes shut.

"Stop it!" Ruby yelled, drawing Salem's attention from him, the blades retracted from Ozpin.

"You're finally awake" she smiled "We have so much catching up to do"

"Stay away from her" Raven growled hanging from her arms tied to the statue above Ruby chained to its base. Raven's mouth was then covered by the statue's hand moving in accordance with Salem's will.

"I've heard enough out of you, traitor" Salem turned her attention back to Ruby "You know in all my time warring with Ozpin, I have never succeeded in capturing him, nor have I ever obtained the power of any of the maidens... until now" she explained as Cinder came out from the shadows "Now I will have all of the maidens powers in a single being able to rival his own power"

"You're never going to win" Ruby replied pulling desperately trying to free herself from the chains binding her to the statue.

"Once Cinder holds the power of the four maidens she can open the vault to all of the relics, although Slade can do it himself using just his Semblance if he so desired" she explained.

"Slade would never help you, you're a monster!"

"Now, now, Ruby. That's no way to talk to family" Salem scolded slicing the chains apart with her hand.

"Family?" Ruby asked confused looking to Ozpin meeting an equally confused expression on his face.

"We have so much catching up to do, my dear" Salem slung her arm around her shoulder, Ruby attempted to pull away stopping upon hearing Ozpin's pained groans "Pull away from me again and I'll hurt him much worse than you can possibly imagine" she warned pulling her back to her.

"How many did we lose?" Cinder asked.

"All of them" Salem answered smiling, Cinder was instantly uncomfortable by the hungry glint in her eye "Each of Ozpin's team took down around five to eight hundred alone, Slade easily doubled that" she added.

"So we lost Adam Taurus and over thirty thousand Grimm" Cinder sighed shaking her head "Those students of yours are much more talented than we imagined" she said looking toward Ozpin.

"I've told you before, never underestimate your opponent" Salem reminded "You should get started on extracting Raven's power, but keep her alive, I wish to have some fun with her before she dies" Salem instructed earning a nod from Cinder in response.

"As you wish"

"Let me tell you a story, Ruby..." Salem grinned as she exited the room.

* * *

 **That's all for this one, I promise to have the next chapter out as soon as possible!**


	26. Summer Rose

**Here's chapter twenty-five for you guys! I'm glad you're all liking the story so far, thank you all again for your support. I'm working on this story as much as possible to try and get these chapters out faster, but I refuse to rush through them! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Summer Rose**

 **Atlas Eight years ago**

"Wait, Summer!" Ironwood called from behind, stopping Summer in her tracks.

"Yes, James?" she asked.

"There is a reason Ozpin hasn't allowed us to know such knowledge" Ironwood said holding up a cream colored folder in his hand "Why do you seek to know so much about the relics?" he asked curiously.

"I wish to use them to better the world" Summer answered without turning around to face him.

"I've seen your research Summer, I know you're only interested in their destructive capabilities... Would you blanket the world in darkness, reduce us to nothing?!"

"Ah but, James, darkness did cover the world once, in legend. We know so little about the war between the gods, only that it was just the beginning. Amidst the fighting they united to create something capable of wielding their power, thus creating Ozpin. They decided the rest of humanity shouldn't wield the power he held, instead granting us each an aura and a unique Semblance... or so we've been told"

"What're you getting at?" Ironwood asked confused.

"It is a curious tale. One worth exploring"

"What about your husband, your daughters, your friends?" he asked "You've forced me to keep your survival a secret for the past three years while you continued your research in secret. How long do you plan to keep up this charade?"

"My family is inconsequential, they no longer concern me" she answered.

"What's happened to you? Ever since you returned from killing Salem you've been different, I was hoping you'd get better over time but it appears you've only gotten worse"

"Ozpin once said destruction brings about creation, so what then would the destruction of the kingdoms bring?" Summer asked shocking Ironwood "When the darkness falls will we be found worthy of the precious power we fight so hard to maintain? Would the gods even notice? I must have these answers, James!"

"You would ensure an apocalypse out of sheer curiosity?" Ironwood asked in angered disbelief "I will never allow it, Summer. Not while I still live!"

"Once again you have it all wrong, James. Darkness is a beginning you see, not an end. At birth, every one of us emerges from darkness into a world of light do we not?" she asked turning to face him.

"Poetic excuses!" Ironwood yelled back furiously, Summer turned away from him.

"Salem was once human before becoming what Ozpin made her, darkness was a beginning for her as well" she explained as she walked away "I will have the relics, James. Nothing is going to stand in my way"

"If words won't dissuade you, only one thing will!" Ironwood drew his pistol on Summer firing it at her back. Summer turned around holding her hand up to block the bullets as her eyes flashed to black with red irises. Summer held her opposite hand up toward Ironwood firing a blast of dark energy at him knocking him onto his back. Ironwood's right arm and most of his shoulder were missing including his pistol. Summer approached him as he struggled to his knees.

"That power, has the darkness taken you, Summer!?" he asked enraged.

"Not your concern" she answered grinning, her skin was pale white with black markings tracing over her body.

"S-Salem?" he asked fearfully.

"Finally catching on are we?" she laughed.

"Y-you... impossible!"

"Many have thought the way you do today, but I can assure you she's not the first vessel I have taken over the years, General"

"V-vessel?" he asked fear dripping from his words.

"Summer is the most recent in a long line" she chuckled "The best part is: I retain all the power and experiences of my vessels even when I gain another. This is how Ozpin has been losing so much recently, his power fades after every death, while mine flourishes" she grinned.

"How long... how long has it been you?" he asked.

"Not long, General. It's a slow process taking control of one's consciousness. Summer put up quite the fight, in the end that only makes it easier on me. I was the one whispering in her ear to remain here and study the Grimm further, then the relics, finally I took control and studied her abilities myself. Summer was smart enough to hide those memories from me once she caught on, she has a surprisingly powerful will. It won't matter soon enough"

"Why are you telling me all of this? What does this gain you?" he asked.

"My dear, what makes you think you're leaving here alive?" she asked grinning malevolently, a gunshot rang out ripping through her shoulder, Salem leapt away from Ironwood glaring ferociously as she placed her hand over her shoulder holding back the blood "Hunter" she growled.

"Always knew something was off about you since we came back, never imagined it was actually you we came back with" Hunter said as his railgun transformed back into it's claymore form, resting it on his shoulder. He had striking blue eyes and jet black hair, coupled with his pale complexion, he wore large black armor with two matching pauldrons sticking out from his shoulders and a black cape hanging from the underside of them along with thick matching colored gloves and boots.

"Stroud? What're you doing here?" Ironwood asked surprised.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" he asked.

"Looks to me like you're dying" Salem growled unleashing a powerful blast of dark energy toward them. Hunter held his claymore in front of him absorbing the energy into the blade.

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten my Semblance" Hunter chuckled, his blade changed back to the railgun firing the energy back at her. Salem sliced her hand down the middle of it splitting the blast around her.

"You're going to regret getting in my way" Salem warned.

"We've killed you once, we can do it again" Hunter smirked.

"We?" Salem asked just before she was slammed into the floor by a large hammer in her back.

"Nice shot, Topaz!" Hunter yelled as she flipped through the air toward him. She wore a brown robe with gold plated armor beneath it, she slung her hammer over her shoulder easily. Topaz's piercing emerald eyes glared darkly as she ran her hand exasperatedly through her scarlet locks with a deep sigh. Salem stood up from the indentation in the floor chuckling.

"So you're both here then, Hunter and Topaz Stroud"

"Release Summer" Topaz ordered.

"That's not quite how it works, my dear. Summer has already lost control, you can do nothing to me now"

"We can harm you just fine, I seem to recall you die just like anyone else" Hunter pointed out.

"You wouldn't hurt your precious Summer now would you?" she asked grinning mockingly.

"We're not going to let you hurt her anymore, we know she's still in there" Topaz announced.

"Summer is merely a spectator to everything I have been doing for the past three years, I finally know how to obtain Ozpin's powers for my own and how to use the relics to destroy everything he loves... once I have all the relics in my possession I can remove all of humanity from existence with just a snap of my fingers" she explained demonstrating.

"That's not gonna happen" Hunter growled.

"Ozpin will stop you, just like we did before" Salem grinned at Topaz's comment.

"Such a beautiful boy you have, what was his name again?" she asked tauntingly "Slade?"

"Don't you dare touch him!?" Hunter yelled furiously.

"Once you're gone I'm going to find the boy and take him under my wing, he's going to be fun to play with" Salem cackled wickedly.

"I won't let that happen!" Hunter charged forward.

"Hunter, don't!" Topaz warned as Salem lifted her hand toward him waving it dismissively, Hunter was thrown back by some unknown force to Topaz and Ironwood.

"You've amused me long enough. Soon I shall send my strongest follower after you and your family, the boy will belong to me and you'll both be dead long before you have the chance to do anything about it" she warned "I promise you, in few years time; I will be poised to destroy everything Ozpin's built including your pathetic Atlas... keep that in mind as you await your end" she laughed as darkness enveloped her, she vanished.

"That doesn't sound good" Hunter sighed.

"We killed all of her followers didn't we?" Topaz asked confused.

"Apparently not" he replied shaking his head, Ironwood dropped onto his back unconscious.

"James!" Topaz called worriedly rushing to his side.

* * *

"You're joking" Qrow said staring in shock.

"Summer is still alive!?" Tai asked furiously.

"No, Tai. Summer is dead, at least she's unable to do anything in her current position. Killing Summer is the only way to stop Salem but only until she obtains another vessel" Ironwood explained.

"That's what happened to you then" Weiss said referring to his right arm, he nodded in response.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kept this from you-"

"You're damn right! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Yang yelled her eyes filled with rage "She has Ruby, who knows what she's planning to do to her"

"I understand you're upset-"

"Upset? Upset!?" Slade asked "You knew this whole time Salem couldn't be killed conventionally and yet you hid it from us. You knew about Summer's hidden computer room and didn't tell us. You knew my parents fought alongside Summer to stop Salem and her followers, yet you hid it even from Ozpin. What else have you kept from us?" Slade asked struggling to keep his anger in check.

"Only one thing... Summer found a way to kill Salem permanently" Ironwood replied.

"She did?" Blake asked surprised.

"How?" Pyrrha asked "How can you kill someone who just switches bodies when their current body dies?"

"Only those with the silver eyes can truly kill Salem... but it comes with a price"

"What kind of price?" Roman asked concerned.

"Ruby is the only one who can kill Salem, by using her silver eyes she can draw out Salem's essence into her own body effectively making herself Salem's new vessel. The only way to kill Salem is for Ruby to end her own life at the same time her body absorbs Salem effectively destroying her essence-"

"No! I'm not losing Ruby!" Tai shouted furiously "I've lost enough already"

"Tai-"

"We don't trade lives, General. There's got to be another way to stop Salem" Slade growled.

"There isn't, the only way to destroy Salem's essence is to combat it with your own. Unlike us, Salem doesn't have an aura anymore, it's something more parasitic. The more you fight against her the stronger she gets" Ironwood explained "Summer found the only way to combat that"

"Then why is Summer's body currently being used as a vessel?"

"I wish I knew, Hunter said she'd killed Salem and took her essence into her own body, then she said their job was done and it was time to go home" Ironwood explained.

"Do we know where Salem took Ruby?" Jaune asked concerned.

"I know where Ruby is" Slade announced surprising everyone.

"What do you mean you know where she is?" Yang asked suspiciously. Slade held up his scroll showing a map of the nearby forests, a red dot blipped on the screen indicating it was tracking something.

"You placed a tracker on Ruby?" Blake asked surprised.

"Crescent Rose" he answered.

"Did you do that to the rest of us?" Weiss asked suspiciously.

"No, only Ruby" he answered pocketing the device.

"We can mount a rescue immediately" Ren proposed.

"Hell yeah! Let's go kick some Grimm god ass!" Nora yelled excitedly.

"That's not going to happen" Slade replied.

"What do you mean?" Glynda asked confused "Why wouldn't we rescue Ms. Rose?"

"Salem demonstrated her power to us already, we couldn't even put a scratch on her during the whole fight... adding more of us to the equation isn't going to change that" he answered.

"Then what do we do? Hope Ruby escapes on her own?" Qrow asked annoyed.

"Maybe we can bargain with her?" Sun offered.

"The only thing Salem wants is the relics" Oobleck pointed out "We have nothing to offer her"

"Quite right, we should-" Port began.

"You mean these relics?" Slade asked holding the lantern from Haven in one hand and a small black metal staff in the other with a green orb on tip of the staff.

"How did you get those?" Ironwood asked shocked.

"The vault door isn't very effective against my Semblance" Slade answered causing them to vanish from his hands "I'm going to offer them to Salem for Ruby's freedom" Slade announced.

"Absolutely not!" Winter yelled.

"You'll be killed! Salem's never going to give you Ruby for those things-"

"I'm not asking for permission, General. I'm going to do this whether you accept it or not"

"Give them back, now" Ironwood ordered standing from his place angrily, Slade crossed his arms defiantly. Ironwood drew his gun on Slade.

"Woah! Let's calm down now!" Roman said attempting to stop the situation from escalating.

"James!" Glynda yelled shocked.

"I'm ordering you... to surrender those relics!" Ironwood yelled furiously, Slade stood face to face with him the pistol mere inches from his chest.

"No, sir" Ironwood's finger hovered above the trigger. His expression of rage faltered for a moment. Lowering his weapon he turned toward Winter.

"Specialist! Arrest that man!" Ironwood yelled pointing to Slade.

"General!" Winter protested.

"Arrest him!" he yelled again. Neo smacked him on the back of the head with Roman's cane knocking him into a nearby chair, he stared up at her in shock.

"Thank you, Neo" Yang sighed in relief, she smiled back at Yang.

"I'm going to get Ruby back, once I get close enough to her I'm going to transport her as far away as I can, make sure you're there as fast as you can be" Slade ordered the group tossing Yang his scroll just before vanishing leaving the room with an uncomfortable silence.

"Why didn't you at least tell, Ruby?" Tai asked Ironwood.

"I... I thought I was keeping her safe by not telling her, if Salem didn't feel threatened by her then she wouldn't harm her. Not directly-"

"You and I both know that's not how it works" Qrow growled "I'm going after Slade" he turned to leave.

"How do you plan on catching up to him?" Nora asked confused as he opened the door transforming into a crow and flying off as he did "Oh..." she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

* * *

Salem appeared at the head of the table grinning with Ruby standing beside her uncomfortably.

"Slade knows the truth now" Salem announced. They all stared at Ruby curiously but didn't voice their thoughts.

"The stronger Slade becomes the closer he comes to becoming our perfect little puppet" Cinder grinned, Ruby's face showed concern at her comment.

"Slade knows we have Ruby" Emerald pointed out "That'll make him reckless causing him to be that much harder to control"

"What does it matter?" Mercury asked chuckling "Whatever his circumstances, Slade has never been able to help himself from helping others, even his enemies. It's what his pure little heart wants" he laughed, Emerald looked away at his comment uncertain.

"The dice have already been cast, things are in motion, Slade can't stop this anymore than his parents could" Tyrian laughed.

"Nothing is set in stone" Hazel sighed "If the dice aren't in your favor, you'll share Taurus's fate"

"But the fun is in not knowing, isn't it?" Tyrian asked "What is the point of betting on something if you already know the outcome?"

"Are you sure that defeating him won't derail our organizations plan?" Watts asked.

"If Slade is to die so easily, then he is of no use to us" Salem answered, Ruby's expression changed to one of anger.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear" Cinder grinned "It's not in my nature to hold back"

"How can you people talk about him like he's just a pawn in a game of chess!? He's a person!" Ruby yelled angrily.

"Surely you've figured out by now, Ruby, we're not good people. We don't care about the well being of others, only our own"

"But why? Why're you doing this mother?" Ruby asked unable to hold back her tears "You weren't like this, you're not the same person I used to know and love"

"Summer is gone, Ruby. It's time you accept that and move on, I am in control now, your mother's body is powerful, but not invincible. Should I desire it, I will find another and leave hers to rot" Salem explained.

"Slade's never going to fall for your tricks" Ruby growled "He's too smart for you"

"We shall see, won't we?" Salem grinned.

"I suppose I should be in my place then" Cinder stood from her place transporting herself using the darkness.

"The time has come for my plan to come to fruition" Salem smiled "The rest of you know what to do" she added.

"As you wish" Watts replied vanishing with the others using the darkness as Cinder did.

"Come, Ruby. You and I have a trap to set" Salem grabbed her by the arm stopping her from pulling away from her as she used the darkness to vanish from the room.

* * *

Slade entered a large ruined temple in the middle of Atlas's forests "So this is where she's hiding you" he mused aloud. Sneaking through the temple he found the majority of it to be empty, he came across a large barrier of dark energy blocking his path.

"Now there's you to deal with-" Slade turned abruptly at the sound of screams of anguish "Ruby?" he wondered rushing as quietly as he could in the direction of the screams. Slade found a large empty room with only two occupants, Raven chained to a stone coffin and Cinder standing above her triumphantly.

"Does it hurt?" she asked grinning "I hope it hurts more than you could've possibly imagined... you made a fool out of me back in Haven. I don't appreciate that"

"You are a fool, it wasn't hard to do" Raven chuckled, Cinder growled placing her hand onto her abdomen causing Raven to scream in agony.

"Who's the fool now, Branwen?" she grinned.

"Me" Slade sighed from behind her leaning against a stone pillar with his arms crossed.

"Simply amazing, Slade" she chuckled "You came to save this pile of filth instead of the girl you claim to love?" she asked mockingly.

"I'm not here for Raven" he replied.

"You've come to see me then?" Cinder asked "I'm so flattered!" she yelled producing a wall of flames surrounding them "You're too late to stop me from draining her power!"

"I'm not here to fight, let her go. Then take me to Salem so we can chat" Slade replied showing a complete lack of interest with her posturing.

"I hold the power of all four maidens now, Slade. You might wish to focus your attention here-"

"You were barely able to handle me when I was crippled with injuries, gaining more power doesn't change your sloppy fighting style" he mocked stone-faced.

Cinder leapt into the air forming a blade of flame in each hand, using fire to launch herself down. Slade leapt over her throwing his blade spinning toward her slashing her back painfully, using his Semblance her appeared beneath her kicking her in the chest from his place on the ground he caught his spinning blade leaping up toward her. Slade clashed blades with Cinder obliterating them both throwing her further into the air. Slade wrapped his arms around Cinder's waist twisting to throw her into the ground below.

"You're sloppy as always. For someone always relying on the maidens power you seem to only use one element of it consistently, Raven provided a bigger challenge when she only had the power of one maiden" he taunted.

"How dare you" Cinder growled standing from her place on the floor "You'll die for that!" she yelled charging forward with two new fire blades, Slade charged forward as well, Slade swung just a second faster than Cinder throwing her into the air with his blade, using his Semblance he called forth several beams of dark energy he collected from his fight with Salem all of them colliding throwing Cinder back against a nearby wall as her flame circle vanished.

Cinder erupted from the wall clashing blades with Slade each holding their ground, Slade pushed her back leaping away from her giving himself breathing room, he noticed her new eye hiding behind her hair for the fist time.

"What the hell happened to your eye? Have you truly allowed Salem to change so much of you just for power?" Slade asked.

"Tell me why" Cinder replied.

"Why?" he asked confused.

"Tell me why she picked you" she charged forward holding her blades backward scrapping them along the ground. Cinder swung her right blade for his leg forcing him to raise it over the blade as he turned, Slade clashed his blade with both of hers from behind. Twisting around he flipped his blade over blocking a strike aimed for his head then pushed the blade into the ground holding Cinder there. Cinder flipped over Slade freeing her blade from his grasp, leaping back toward him she swept for his legs with both blades. Slade mimicked her flip to avoid the strike blocking a second strike for his chest as he soared through the air pushing him upward.

Cinder leapt up to meet Slade in the air, he flipped back to block her strike while holding his position upside-down. Slade was launched to the ground by Cinder's strength, landing easily on his feet placing one hand down onto the floor steadying himself. Cinder landed in front of him swinging madly at him spinning as she struck, Slade backed away from each strike stopping to hold his blade horizontally blocking the furious strikes hammering down onto his blade. Slade dropped onto one knee allowing Cinder to launch his blade away from him sliding along the floor. Looking over to it he found Cinders blade embedded into the ground in front of him keeping him in place.

"You lose" she grinned, Slade's blade appeared in his hand surprising her "What!?" she failed to react quick enough to block the devastating strike dropping her onto one knee, Cinder coughed into her hand dropping both her blades vanishing into nothing, blood soaked the gloves covering her hands "How... how're you still so strong" she asked confused.

"It's not my strength that handed me this battle, it's your arrogance that wrenched it from your grip" Slade answered.

"I see... that's why " she looked down dejectedly using the darkness to escape. Slade sheathed his blade approaching the coffin Raven was confined to.

"You're a fool" she groaned in annoyance.

"Say's the one who needs saving" Slade smirked shattering her chains with his gauntlets.

"I know I'm going to die someday, but I know it'll be on my own terms. You're just blindly following-" she began sitting up.

"I came here of my own volition, against orders" he corrected shocking Raven.

"You what?" she asked.

"Ironwood ordered me to return the relics to him, I refused and came here to rescue Ruby. I stopped here only because I heard you"

"You... you chose to save me?" Raven asked still in shock.

"Does that surprise you?" Slade asked.

"There you are" Qrow's voice called from behind Slade.

"Took you long enough" he smirked.

"I guess you knew I was going to follow you, didn't you?" he asked.

"Somehow I knew one of you would, I'm just glad it's you and not Ironwood"

Qrow stepped past him staring down at Raven "Qrow" she greeted.

"Raven" he greeted coldly, she looked away dejectedly.

"I-"

"I don't want to hear it right now, let's just get you out of here" Qrow waved dismissively, he picked her up supporting her weight with his shoulder.

"You gonna be alright carrying her out?" Slade asked.

"I'll be fine, just make sure you get Ruby and yourself out of here alive" he replied sternly.

"I make no promises about my own well being" Slade smirked.

"You'd better do whatever you're gonna do quickly, knowing your friends they're gonna be following behind me anytime now" Qrow shook his head with a small smile "They don't want to let you handle this on your own"

"I wouldn't expect anything less" Slade smiled warmly.

"Kid" Qrow called "Be careful" Qrow warned placing his hand onto his shoulder concerned.

"I always am" he replied.

Slade returned to the chamber with a dark barrier around it to find it missing, he entered cautiously looking up at Salem waiting patiently on her throne with four braziers around it emanating a black flame. Slade looked around finding Ozpin suspended in the air with blades all around his body, none coming into contact with him yet.

"The circle closes. The end begins" Salem grinned standing from her throne "You dissipated your energy saving the weak... there are consequences for that" she warned.

Salem launched lighting from her hands at Slade only for them to be absorbed by his blade. Salem smirked creating three copies of herself from the darkness behind him. Slade turned redirecting the lightning into the one to his left paralyzing her, swinging his blade right the copy dissipated. Arcing his blade up he blocked the center copy's dark blade elbowing her in the face then slashing through her, turning to the paralyzed copy he sliced through it as well. Salem descended the stairs down to meet him, Slade pointed the blade toward her.

"My life spans millennia, legions have risen to test me... none have succeeded" Salem explained.

"If you use the relics to kill everyone on Remnant, you'll be ruling nothing. You'll die eventually when there's no more vessels to take, what's the point of all of this?" Slade asked.

"You discern a fraction of reality, Slade. Beyond the corporeal world you know is the realm of darkness, there exist the birthplace of the Grimm and my kingdom. I will spend eternity gaining every power there is, then eradicate what survives. When the last being of this planet finally dies, I will create another and begin anew"

"You'll never have that kind of power, Salem"

"There is no death, only me. I am it's master. My ascendance is inevitable, a day, a year, a millennium, it matters not. I hold the patience of stone and the will of gods, your struggling is insignificant when compared to me... let your death be the same"

"I'm not looking to fight you, Salem" Slade lowered his weapon.

"Truly?" she asked surprised "Then what have you come here for?"

"Ruby" he answered.

"I'll not give her up easily"

"Not even for the relics?" he asked cocking his eyebrow.

"You have the relics with you?" Salem asked suspiciously "Show me"

"Somewhere you will never be able to reach, I will do the same to the other two should you refuse to release Ruby. Concede and I shall give the two I posses to you" Slade proposed.

"You hold them in your own realm then?" she asked.

"Wherever things go when I transport them away without choosing a destination, yes" Slade answered, Salem held out her hand summoning Ruby from the darkness.

"Slade?" she asked shocked "You have to get out of here!"

"Not without you" he replied.

"You can't, you don't understand-" Ruby attempted.

"I know more about Salem than you think, Ironwood filled us in on the secret to her survival"

"Present the relics or I shall kill her" Salem warned. Slade held the relics in his hand moments later showing them to Salem.

"Happy?" he asked.

"Very" she replied grinning as she pushed Ruby toward him.

"Slade you can't give those to her, you don't know what she's planning-"

"Don't worry, Ruby. Everything is going to be alright" he kissed her on the lips "Forgive me" Ruby vanished shortly followed by the relics, Salem was shocked unable to react fast enough, she closed her fist forcing the blade's through Ozpin only to find him missing. Slade dropped onto one knee from overuse.

"What have you done!?" she yelled infuriated.

"What needed to be done" he answered struggling to stand straight.

"You've just doomed yourself and your friends!" She screeched enraged.

"I don't plan on dying just yet, feel free to surrender so we can get this over with" he mocked.

 _I need to buy some time for Ruby to escape_

"Enough!" Salem yells throwing Slade backward with a wave of her hand, he caught himself by embedding his blade into the ground swinging himself to his feet "I'll handle you myself!"

Salem formed a dark blade in each hand launching herself toward Slade as he charged toward her, Salem held her blade out in front of her blocking Slade's strike, using her other blade she sliced for his head forcing him to duck under the strike. Salem spun again brining her second blade around clashing with Slade's, he vanished reappearing behind her slashing his blade into her face as she turned to defend herself throwing Salem into the air.

Slade appeared in front of her slamming his blade into her chest then appearing behind her slamming his blade into her back throwing her down toward the floor. Releasing his blade he appeared in front of her as she steadied herself while still falling. Slade punched her in the face multiple times at blinding speed then slammed his foot into her face knocking her into a statue shattering it.

"Impressive" she groaned standing up "But not enough" she raised her hand up causing the floor to elevate like a wall between them. Obsidian reappeared in Slade's hand twisting it backward he charged forward, emerging from the opposite end of the raised ground with his blade in the opposite direction he began with. The wall behind him slowly sliced apart sliding onto the ground around him, he smirked looking up at an impressed Salem.

"I remember you being tougher, what happened to all that strength you showed during our last encounter?" Slade asked.

"I was testing you" she lied.

"No, something else is going on here" Slade's eyes narrowed as he eyed her suspiciously.

"You're analytical skills rival that of your mother, but your combat prowess greatly outstrips your father"

"My mother once told me a wise man never seeks out war-"

"But must always be ready for it" she grinned charging toward him. Slade punched for her face meeting her forearm then twisted her arm with his opposite hand, using his blade to slice her abdomen. Slade head-butt her, stumbling Salem back, he kicked her in the chest throwing her onto her back. Slade twisted his blade prepared to stab it into her chest. Salem held Slade by the throat using an unknown force as she stood herself back up.

"You're powerful, but not that powerful" she grinned, Slade stopped choking surprising Salem as her hand constricted. Slade's pistol appeared in his hand firing into her chest three times dropping her onto her knees unable to keep herself upright. Salem thrust her hand forward throwing Slade back several feet, he flipped through the air landing perfectly, lowering himself to his knees panting exhausted.

"You harness immense power, but you lack the purity of will to direct it" she stood painfully unleashing a powerful blast of black lightning from her hands being blocked by Obsidian once more, she slowly approached him struggling with each step, Slade stood upright as she drew close, spinning around her slicing into her side with his blade knocking her onto the floor. Salem pushed herself up just enough to look at him.

"How's that for direction?" Slade asked mockingly "You know you don't have to do this, you can still be that person who loved Ozpin. I know that part of you is still in there somewhere" Slade pleaded sheathing his blade.

"I will not be contained, I cannot be redeemed, and you will not kill me"

"I'll bring you before Ozpin and see what he has to say for you"

"Ignore his ambitions, give in to your true desires"

"I'm not the one who should decide your fate" Slade replied.

"I will not be your trophy" Salem vanished from the room "If I am to die, I choose how. Everything dies with me!" her voice echoed, the temple trembled violently. Slade was struck in the head by a shard of the ceiling knocking him unconscious, slumping to the floor as the room crumbled around him, Salem's laughter echoed through his mind as the darkness overtook him.

* * *

Ruby appeared outside the temple stumbling, she fell to the ground rolling to a stop in front of Raven and Qrow.

"Looks like you made it" Qrow laughed looking down at her.

"Slade!" Ruby's voice called picking herself up frantically.

"Calm down, Ruby-" Qrow tried.

"You don't understand! Slade's in there alone with Salem! That's what she wants!" she yelled.

"Slow down" he placed his hands onto her shoulder "why don't you start from the beginning"

"Hey!" Nora called from behind Ruby, they all turned to find JNPR and the rest of RWBY rushing over to them with Roman, Neo, and Tai shortly behind.

"Ruby!" Yang and Tai yelled.

"Yang, Dad!" Ruby called back embracing them in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay" Yang said wiping a tear from her face.

"Good to see you're alright, Red" Roman chuckled.

"What happened?" Weiss asked.

 _(Flashback)_

Ruby and Weiss overlooked the city from the outer wall sitting on the edge allowing their legs to dangle.

"Can you believe my father was involved with all of this?" Weiss asked "I knew he was a bad man, but I never thought he'd stoop to this level"

"Sometimes people surprise you, even if it's for the worst" Ruby sighed "I'm sorry about your father, that must be hard-"

"It's actually easier to believe than you might think, he's always been hell bent on controlling my life; It's only natural for him to want to control everything too"

"At least you still have Winter!" Ruby pointed out hopefully.

"Yeah, she's awesome" Winter agreed smiling back at Ruby "Enough about me though, how's it going between you and Slade?" she asked wriggling her eyebrows suggestively, Ruby smacked her shoulder with a deep blush.

"Don't be dirty!" she yelled "Slade and I are just fine"

"But?" Weiss asked.

"Why does there have to be a but?" Ruby asked feigning offense.

"Ruby..." Weiss stared at her knowingly.

"Okay fine, there's a but" she admitted "I wish Slade and I were able to have more time to ourselves" she explained looking down disappointedly.

"Have you told him?" Weiss asked curiously.

"No" Ruby groaned "With everything that's been going on since we got here, I haven't had the time to really talk with him that much. Slade did talk to me about us growing apart, I assured him I didn't feel we were and he was happy to hear that" she explained with a small smile.

"Yet you're worried it's true?" Weiss asked confused.

"Well..."

"Ruby, the amount of time you spend together doesn't matter when you love each other, Slade nearly died for you back at Beacon. People don't do that for just anyone" she assured pulling her into a small hug.

"Thanks, Weiss" Ruby grinned hugging her back.

"Anytime, I'm always here to-" the wall suddenly shook violently causing them to stand abruptly "What was that?!" Weiss asked concerned.

"Hold on" Ruby said placing her hand onto her abdomen "Nope, not my stomach" Weiss looked at her in disbelief.

"Your stomach couldn't make the ground shake!" she yelled exasperatedly.

"It could if it was a really strong stomach" Ruby pointed out, the wall split apart beneath them, an explosion tearing through the center. Ruby fell over the side of the wall.

"Ruby!" Weiss called worried attempting to use her glyphs to reach her, the unstable ground crumbled beneath her causing her to fall over the opposite side as Ruby.

Ruby twisted through the air using Crescent Rose to slow her descent landing safely outside the city walls, she looked in shock as the Grimm army began charging toward the city "The attack... it's starting!" Ruby reached for her scroll.

"That's not going to do you any good" Cinder said from behind her, Ruby turned abruptly to find Cinder's hand on her throat suspending her in the air "Too slow"

"Cinder" Ruby chocked out "What do you want with me? Aren't you more interested in the relics?" she forced out painfully.

"Our end goal is acquiring the relics, unfortunately Salem has decided she would rather have you captured alive for something else. You're lucky, I would've killed you already had she allowed me" she explained.

"My friends-"

"Will come to save you, we know. That's exactly what she's hoping for" Cinder chuckled as a dark portal began enveloping them "We're going to have such fun together" she broke into full laughter as they vanished. Weiss arrived shortly after finding the area to be empty.

"Ruby! Ruby, where are you!?" she called worried.

 _(End Flashback)_

"That explains why none of us could find you during the battle" Weiss sighed.

"Where's Slade?" Yang asked concerned.

"Slade's still in the temple with Salem, he used his Semblance to move me outside so he could fight her alone!" she explained "We have to help him!"

"What about the relics?" Blake asked worriedly "Does Salem have them?"

"I don't know, Slade tossed me out here before I had the chance to see what happened"

"Not good" Jaune sighed "We need to make sure she doesn't get her hands on them"

"Should we be headed back inside then?" Pyrrha asked.

"Slade's smart enough not to stick around if he's already got you out" Qrow replied "Do you know if he got Oz out?" Ruby shook her head.

"Then we have a problem" Ren said tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"We need to get inside and help him!" Ruby yelled frantically "Slade's alone with Salem"

"Then we should act quickly" Ozpin said surprising the group.

"Oz?" Qrow asked surprised.

"Slade's not going to be able to handle her on his own" he added urgently as he limped his way over to them.

"You're not in any condition to do anything" Tai pointed out.

"Salem wanted Slade alone" Ruby added.

"Why?" Weiss asked "What'd she want with Slade?"

"To kill him!" Ruby yelled frantic with worry.

"If I die, everything dies with me!" Salem's voice echoed as the ground around them trembled violently "Slade!" she called as a wall of dust erupted from the collapsing temple.

"No!" Ozpin yelled slamming his cane into the ground, a barrier formed around the temple stopping the debris from spreading further. Ruby dropped onto her knees tears streaming down her face.

"No... he can't... not again"

"Ruby..." Tai looked away dejectedly, Ozpin collapsed onto his knee's from exhaustion.

"Maybe he got out, he can teleport... right?" Nora asked hopefully.

"That's it!" Ruby looked up in realization as she frantically pulled out her scroll.

"What's it? Did I say something smart for once?" Nora asked confused.

"I placed the tracker he had on Crescent Rose onto him just before he teleported me away. I figured that was his plan" Ruby explained.

"This tracker?" Yang asked holding up Slade's scroll in her hand.

"Yes!" Ruby answered excitedly grabbing it from her hands "Slade's gotta be alive, it says he's not here in the temple"

"Where is he then? Close by?" Blake asked looking around.

"He's... at Atlas Academy?" she asked confused as she looked at the device.

"The Academy?" Weiss asked equally confused "Why would he go there?"

"It says he's underground" Pyrrha pointed out surprised.

"He's inside... James's personal... conference room" Ozpin gasped out slowly returning to his feet with Jaune's help.

"Something isn't right. How would Slade even know about that room, why would he go there?" Qrow wondered aloud.

"Salem" Jaune answered "She or one of her followers must've taken him there, perhaps she collapsed the temple to make us think he was dead" he proposed.

"He's gonna need our help then" Ren pointed out.

"We should hurry, we don't want anything to happen to him. Salem's likely to torture Slade into giving up the relics" Roman agreed.

"Count me out" Raven turned to leave.

"There she goes again" Tai sighed.

"Excuse me?" she asked indignantly.

"You're running away again just like you always do" he replied exasperated.

"I'm not running away! I'm thinking for myself, unlike all of you-"

"Thinking for yourself? Just because we choose to fight with Ozpin doesn't mean we're blindly following him!" Tai rebuked.

"I couldn't handle Salem with the maiden's powers, how am I supposed to stand against her without them?" Raven asked crossing her arms.

"You made a promise to me, to Summer, to Qrow! You promised you would always have our backs if we needed you just like we made the same promise to you. You broke that promise the minute you walked away... Summer's dead because of it" Tai wiped the tears from his face.

"Summer is dead because she's a fool" Raven scowled.

"Then what does that make you!" Tai yelled furiously "If being a fool means fighting to protect those you love, then I guess we're all just fools aren't we?" he asked.

"You are" she agreed "that's why I'm leaving-"

"What about Yang?" Qrow asked.

"Pardon?" she asked surprised.

"You fight desperately with Slade to protect her, you're just too stubborn to work with Oz... do you really think Summer's the fool here?" he asked.

"Raven" Ozpin said gaining her attention.

"You're not going to convince me to fight for your cause-"

"I'm not going to try and convince you of anything, but refusing to help those you love just because they're working with someone you hate is the mark of a fool. Summer never trusted me after I told her what made you decide to leave, yet she still fought Salem, even died to try and make the world safer for her daughter, for your daughter" he explained.

"Summer was more of a mother to me than you ever were" Yang agreed, hurting Raven with her words.

"You can leave if you want, but Yang's not going to be any safer when you leave. If you truly wish to protect your daughter, then you should fight with her" Ozpin finished turning away from her.

"I...I..." Raven stood speechless.

"Please, mom" Yang pleaded.

"Don't you feel you owe Slade your life?" Qrow asked "He didn't have to save you, but he did anyway"

"It's the same reason I'm fighting with him now, he saved my life when all I ever did was try to kill him and his friends" Roman pointed out, Neo nodded in agreement.

"I... I can't" Raven transformed into a raven and flew away quickly.

"Figures" Nora sighed "Mothers, am I right?" she shrugged.

"We need to get Slade back" Blake said concerned.

"I believe I have a plan for that" Ozpin announced "We're going to need to be quick, Slade's not going to have much time"


	27. Twist Of Fate

**This story has been much more successful than I could've imagined, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read this and all the support you've given over the past month or two. I know I say it a lot, but I am truly happy that you're all enjoying this as much as you have been. New chapter coming next week, hopefully sooner than this one. Have fun!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: Twist Of Fate**

"Anybody else think this plan isn't that great?" Yang asked Ruby and Qrow as they entered a dark hallway leading further into the school.

"One small team should be able to get in here and get Slade easier than all of us together rushing in to help" Qrow explained "Beside that point, James needs to be stalled while we get him, if he knew Salem had captured Slade he would tear the city apart to ensure she didn't claim the relics" he added with a sigh.

"None of that matters right now, Slade needs our help. Let's just get in, get Slade, then get out" Ruby said unable to suppress her nervousness.

"We're gonna get him, sis. Everything is going to be alright" Yang promised squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Thank you, Yang" she smiled up at her. They arrived at the secret passage Ozpin described, finding it left open.

"Anybody else smell a trap?" Qrow asked.

"We better be careful" Yang agreed.

"C'mon, we're wasting time" Ruby said motioning for them to follow her down the path. Qrow took the lead once they were inside following the instructions given by Ozpin, upon reaching the door he held up his hand indicating for them to stop.

"Once we're inside I don't want anyone getting distracted, we're not here for a fight. Slade is the priority" Qrow explained.

"Understood" Yang nodded preparing her gauntlets.

"That being said, be prepared for anything" he added readying his blade as well, Ruby followed suit with her own weapon as he unlocked the door with his free hand. Qrow opened the door stepping inside cautiously. Inside there was a small 9ft platform in the center of several elevated chairs surrounding it, the rest of the room was completely empty.

"Why would Ironwood have a conference room down here when he has one upstairs?" Yang asked curiously.

"This is the one room in Atlas with no outside connection. It's where he'd meet with the Atlesian council, he'd use this room to keep anyone from eavesdropping" Qrow answered as they ascended the stairs up to the platform.

"Slade!" Ruby called upon seeing him unconscious, he rested in a chair lowered just beneath where they stood. She leapt down to him reaching out toward him. Cinder appeared from the darkness before her holding her hand toward Ruby, she was thrown back up to Yang and Qrow suddenly surprising them.

"Hands off the new vessel" Cinder said hovering onto the platform with them.

"Vessel?" Qrow asked shocked.

"Yes, we originally had our sights set on Ms. Rose" She answered pointing to Ruby "Slade has proven himself to be far more deserving of the honor Salem offers" Cinder explained.

"That's what you did to my mom..." Ruby wiped a stray tear from her face.

"Ruby..." Yang placed her hand onto her shoulder comfortingly.

"Summer Rose... she was a worthy candidate. Unfortunately she proved too powerful, too self aware to take over her body completely. That's the only reason Slade was able to face Salem twice now and survive" Cinder explained "She'll learn the error of her ways soon enough, it would have been easier for her to just accept her fate and submit to Salem's will"

"How can you talk about them like that!? They aren't just storage for that sick demon! They're people!" Yang yelled furiously, her eyes shifting red.

"We aren't just going to let you use Slade like that" Ruby stated narrowing her eyes.

"Your mother freely accepted Salem into her body, Ruby. Why is it so strange to think Slade could want the same thing?" Cinder asked.

"Summer would never do that. Lying to us isn't going to get you anywhere. We all know Slade would never allow you to take him willingly" Qrow growled.

"You're right about one thing, Branwen. Slade has yet to submit to her, but Summer Rose didn't just freely accept it; she forced Salem from her current vessel into her own body" Cinder explained crossing her arms.

"That's not true!" Yang yelled her aura flaring.

Suddenly the seats around them were filled with the members of Salem's organization. Tyrian, Hazel, Mercury, Watts, Emerald; Some of the seats remained empty.

"Denial is a natural response to hard truths" Cinder chuckled "Your adolescent defiance won't change a thing"

"Why is Salem missing?" Ruby asked suspiciously.

"She's preparing herself for the ritual" Cinder answered.

"What ritual?" Qrow asked.

"The ritual to-" Cinder was interrupted by a spark of light from above them striking between them revealing Ozpin standing between them pointing his cane into the sky, a large blue orb erupted from the end of the cane encasing the platform throwing Cinder backward, she suddenly stopped suspended in the air.

"Did time just... stop?" Qrow asked in shock looking around.

"I'm glad I'm not too late" Ozpin smiled turning toward them.

"Professor Ozpin!" Ruby and Yang yelled happy to see him.

"Grab Slade and let's go, I won't be able to stop them for long" Ozpin ordered.

"Right" Qrow nodded turning toward Slade's direction, Ozpin was thrown down the stairs from behind causing him to yell in surprise "Oz!" Qrow called concerned. Turning around he found Cinder standing there seething with anger.

"I said keep your hands off!" she yelled.

"How can you even be moving?" Ruby asked in shock.

"You forget I hold Ozpin's power myself!" she replied grinning madly. The orb around them stopping time dissipated when Cinder's power flared.

"Oh no" Ozpin grit his teeth looking up as he ascended the stairs to rejoin Qrow, Yang and Ruby.

"Salem!" Yang yelled pointing to the previously empty chair, directly across from Slade's.

"I see you noticed my invitation to join our little meeting" she smirked down at them.

"Why are you doing this? Why won't you just allow yourself to pass on? Don't you want to see our daughters again?" Ozpin asked struggling to control his rage.

"I was once able to feel the emotions you cherish... your meddling changed me to the point of numbness, I can only feel negative emotions such as rage, hatred, anger, fear. The closest thing I feel to happiness is the delight I feel when I kill one of your Huntsmen"

"You didn't answer my question"

"Because you didn't let me finish!" she yelled angrily, she cleared her throat calming herself "I have suffered for too long moving from body to body, constantly fighting for control, none have put up so much of a fight as Summer. The relics are the key to ending this constant cycle and attaining immortality, I've tried destroying your kingdoms to claim the relics as you have seen, but they have all ended in failure. In my eagerness I lost sight of the correct way to achieve my goal. I acted rashly, I can admit that now" she explained resting the back of her hand on her face using her elbow to keep herself propped up.

"You... you changed Slade's fate when you killed his parents!" Qrow yelled angrily.

"Ah, but fate is never left to chance, Mr. Branwen, I merely guided those three to their proper places. Hunter: The broken duelist who failed to save the woman he loved, Topaz: the misguided academic who sacrificed herself for her child, and Summer: The ambitious youth who became my new vessel" Salem listed off grinning all the while "Slade's fate has already been decided as well"

"I was told they both died in a horrible Grimm attack, but that was just a cover wasn't it?" Qrow asked.

"Indeed, I have been implementing my plan to obtain the relics from the day I left Ironwood with that nasty scar he's replaced with that revolting machinery. Hunter and Topaz simply were the only ones harboring my secret" Salem explained.

"Ironwood knew, why didn't you kill him too? Weren't you afraid he would tell someone?" Yang asked confused.

"The General couldn't give away my secret no matter how much he desired" Salem grinned.

"What!?" Ozpin asked shocked.

"I imprinted his brain while he recovered in the hospital from his wounds, the imprint I left behind would cause him severe migraines if he ever so much as thought of telling anyone my secret. James tried so many times to tell people, to tell you... I simply ensured he was physically incapable of accomplishing that" she explained.

"You forced him to keep your secret by manipulating his brain?" Qrow asked cringing in disgust.

"Imprinting, not manipulating. I wasn't consciously controlling him, but he was serving my will whether he wanted to or not. You should be happy I haven't imprinted Slade with something similar"

"I'm surprised you wouldn't, you know he's just going to keep fighting you otherwise" Yang pointed out.

"Indeed, but someone has ensured I cannot touch him in such a manner. That is why I have a different approach in mind" she grinned.

"If you forced Ironwood to keep your secret, how did he tell Slade about it before he came to rescue me?" Ruby asked.

"I removed the imprint during the battle for Atlas, it was no longer necessary after all" she answered.

"How could I've been so blind" Ozpin sighed "I wanted to believe Summer had stopped you for good when she left on her mission... I should've seen it when the Dust thefts began, the subtle changes in James's behavior, even the Grimm attack on Slade's family were suspiciously circumstantial at best" he listed off.

"Yes, it was all my doing. I used my followers to destroy your kingdoms and gain myself the relics from them, when that didn't work I abducted Ruby to draw out the relics, knowing you could never allow her to remain in danger for long, that's when I had my opportunity to gain both the missing relics I should have"

"But you failed!" Ruby pointed out "Slade stopped you in your tracks on both counts" she grinned proudly.

"Yes... he did" Salem reluctantly admitted "That dull, ordinary boy... a Huntsman so unlike any I have ever seen, however..." Salem sat up straight placing both her hands on the arms of her chair "I have not abandoned my ambitions, the four maidens and the four relics" she chuckled confidently.

"You want the power of the maidens and the relics... that can only mean one thing" Ozpin sighed "You're seeking more than just immortality, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes, my love. Perceptive as always" she smirked "But worry not, you needn't concern yourself with my ambitions. After all, you'll all be dead soon anyway" she explained, Salem stood onto her seat "But first the final vessel will bear me like the rest!" she grinned holding her hand out toward Slade, his seat began rising steadily toward her.

"Final vessel?" Ozpin asked turning to see Slade rising "No!"

"Slade!" Qrow yelled concerned.

"Hold on!" Yang yelled as they all raced toward him.

Ozpin leapt up climbing quickly as he pushed off the two pillars holding the seats, just before reaching Slade he was slammed against the seat pillar by Tyrian using his tail to keep him pinned "Going somewhere, Professor?" he asked cackling madly.

Hazel leapt onto Qrow's back pressing his head into the ground stopping him from getting back up "You're not going to interfere"

Mercury grabbed Yang from behind, his arms under hers clasping his hands together behind her head suspending her helplessly in the air "Sorry, Blondie, you're not stopping this"

Ruby fired Crescent Rose launching herself up to Slade, Emerald's chains wrapped around her arms trapping them against her chest, she was pulled back into the ground stopping her from helping Slade "You can't stop this from happening" she said looking away unsure of herself.

Slade's chair stopped staying level with Salem's, she chuckled forming a dark orb in her hand, she launched it toward Slade grinning hungrily.

"No!" Ruby yelled helplessly from the ground.

"Kid, wake up!" Qrow yelled.

"Slade!" Yang called as it came within inches of him.

* * *

Slade's eyes opened to see a completely dark room, standing up he looked around confused "Where am I?" he asked "Am I dead?" he wondered aloud.

"No, nothing like that" came a voice behind him, he turned around standing face to face with Summer Rose.

"Summer?" he asked confused "How're you here? Where is here?" he asked gesturing around them.

"This is your consciousness, particularly powerful Huntsmen and Huntresses can access the consciousness of others with their aura, I am only able to speak to you now because I am so close to you, I gave up my fight with Salem to have this conversation... so you better listen!" she said sternly earning a chuckle from Slade.

"Yes, ma'am" he smiled "Am I crazy or have we met before?" he asked.

"Allow me to show you" the room suddenly changed to a small circular white room with a single chair in the center. The door opened revealing Salem entering, she sat down in the chair having closed the door behind her.

"What is this?" Slade asked in awe reaching out to touch Salem only for his hand to pass through her.

"Memory" Summer answered with a warm smile "Mine" her expression dropped at her own words.

"It's been far too long... old friend" Salem grinned malevolently, a second Summer materialized in the room.

"Don't presume to call me friend, you're an unwanted occupant at best" she replied crossing her arms.

"Come now, Summer. We've been united for so long now we should be working together"

"I will never work with you, I will never give up my fight. I'd rather die than help you do anything" she spat venomously.

"I know you would, I learned so many things about your abilities... apparently not everything though" Salem frowned.

"There's many things you don't know about me, I have kept memories suppressed for a reason"

"Indeed you have, eleven years and yet I never knew your daughter had the same eyes as you"

"Keep your hands off Ruby-"

"You're in no place to make demands Summer, not after what you did during the attack on Vale"

"You know?" she asked surprised.

"I know more than you seem to think, I'm more aware of you than I ever have been. Your transgressions will not go unnoticed" she smirked.

"Where was this?" Slade asked curiously.

"Underneath my computer room in Atlas, Salem accessed this place shortly after the attack started" Summer answered.

The room suddenly changed overlooking the attack on Beacon, Salem stood atop a crumbling tower watching the fight between Slade and Cinder.

"C'mon now, Cinder just end this already" she sighed impatiently, Slade was then stabbed through the chest stopping the blade from touching Ruby.

"Ruby!" Qrow called arriving on the roof, Cinder tossed Slade from the roof plummeting toward the ground. Salem suddenly dropped onto her knee feeling weak.

"What is this?" Salem asked confused, Slade's eyes shot open emanating a white flame in each eye before he vanished.

"Allow me to show you what's really happening" Summer said turning to Slade, the scene replayed once more only with a white silhouette of Summer emerging from Salem just before she dropped onto one knee.

"What is this?" Salem asked confused.

Summer's silhouette raced through the air chasing after Slade, upon reaching him Summer entered his body. Slade's eyes shot open emanating a white flame in each eye, using his Semblance to vanish.

"What was that?" Slade asked confused watching the scene in front of him.

"That's where we met" Summer replied "I entered your consciousness taking control to use your Semblance to escape your impending death, I used my aura to heal your wounds once you were safely away from the battle, then was forced to return to Salem" she explained smiling at him, Slade stared at her in shock.

"You saved me?"

"I did, when Salem found out she was... unpleasant"

"Is she ever pleasant?" Slade asked with a smirk.

"No, though until she took over my body she was at least cordial"

"If you're sharing a body with Salem, does that mean you've seen her memories too?" he asked.

"Yes, I see everything she sees. I'm constantly fighting with Salem for control, I know the only reason you won your battle against her in the temple is because she expelled too much power during her earlier fight with you and your friends. Salem doesn't recover her power very quickly so long as I keep fighting her, she'll be back to her full power by now since we're having this conversation. On top of that you weren't fighting the real Salem, just a copy" Summer explained.

"Copy? Like the ones she made in our fight?"

"Exactly. Salem halves her strength when she splits herself in such a manner"

"That explains her lack of strength during our fight, and the particular weakness of the copies she made of herself during the fight"

"She spread herself too thin" Summer agreed.

"You still haven't told me why we're having this conversation" Slade pointed out.

"Because I'm here to help you, Salem is going to try and take your body for her new vessel, she'd be unstoppable if she had your Semblance. With the relics in hand she can possess every Semblance that ever existed" she explained.

"How do I stop her?" Slade asked.

"The only way to kill Salem is to succeed where I failed" she answered morosely.

"I won't sacrifice Ruby" he replied crossing his arms.

"Why do you think we're talking?" she asked smiling warmly "I know you'll never accept Ruby's sacrifice when she makes that choice, I need you to make sure she never does"

"How?"

"Killing my body will release Salem freeing her to claim your body for her own, you need to beat her internally when she tries to take control"

"Isn't there a way to take Salem from your body without killing you?" he asked hopefully.

"Had Ruby mastered control of her silver eyes when the symbiotic relationship between Salem and I was fresh you would have. Now I would still die, my body has survived off her presence for so long it would die the instant she left. I know Ruby has hardly scratched the surface of her powers, no, your only chance is to kill me to draw out Salem. You must choose someone to be the vessel when that happens with a strong willpower or the whole cycle will begin anew" she explained.

"Ironwood said her aura isn't like everyone else's, it's parasitic" Slade pointed out.

"Which is precisely why you cannot do it alone, the more you fight against her the stronger she gets, she draws off your own strength"

"Then how do I stop her? What do you mean by alone?"

"I said before powerful Huntsmen and Huntresses can connect their consciousness together" she answered simply "You need to get the people you trust most to help you, without assistance you'll suffer the same fate as me at best" she explained.

"I'm not sure I understand" Slade sighed.

"This place we're talking in now is the place Salem will remain. You can fight her here for control of your body as I have been for the past eleven years to no avail, or you can allow your friends consciousness to fight alongside you weakening Salem to the point she can be destroyed. That's the only way you can kill Salem permanently, no other strategy will work" Summer explained as best she could.

"I think I understand, but how do I get out of here? I can't stop Salem trapped here"

"No you cannot, but you're also far too injured to do anything in your current condition. Allow me to take control and I can get you to safety" Summer offered "I'll warn you though, you'll be very uncomfortable for the duration of it"

"Is that what happened before, back during the attack on Beacon?" he asked.

"Yes, that's why you remember meeting me but not the circumstance. My interference was what resulted in your memory loss, your body was so damaged that your brain naturally attempted to forget the trauma, when my consciousness melded with your own your brain forgot more than was intended due to my own trauma" she explained.

"Aright, I'm game for this, Summer. I just hope I don't regret allowing you to take over" he smirked trying to hide his nervousness.

"Don't worry, Slade. I'm nervous too" she placed her hand onto his shoulder comfortingly.

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel better" he chuckled.

"Here goes nothing" she closed her eyes to focus "One thing before I go, you have my blessing" she leaned down kissing Slade on the forehead as the room lit up enveloping them in a bright white light "Keep her safe" her voice echoed.

* * *

The dark orb exploded just as it came into contact with Slade.

"No!" Ozpin yelled concerned.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"I'll kill you!" Yang yelled struggling against Mercury's grip.

"Settle down-" Mercury was interrupted by Tyrian's outburst.

"You!" Tyrian yelled in shock looking up toward Slade confusing everyone in the room. The smoke cleared revealing Slade tucked safely under Raven's arm her blade held in her opposite hand.

"Impossible!" Cinder growled infuriated.

"Impossible? Please, nothing is impossible for me" she scoffed.

"You're not supposed to be here!" she yelled.

"Promises to keep" she shrugged with a smirk, earning a grin from Qrow "I'll always be there to get my friends back. What? Bad timing?" she mocked "You had your perfect little script, but you forgot to write the climax... why don't we find out what happens?" Raven asked pointing her blade at Salem. Cinder stood in her chair forming a fire blade in her hand leaping up toward Raven, she blocked the strike holding her blade over her shoulder.

"Overconfident as ever" Raven mocked lowering to her knees from Cinder's strength, she pushed the blade left flipping over her head, she planted her feet onto the back of the chair pushing off as she flipped over Cinder. Ozpin tucked his legs up kicking Tyrian off, freeing himself from his grasp. Qrow twisted his blade around slicing backward forcing Hazel to leap back away from him. Yang used her own body weight to flip herself over Mercury forcing him to let go, she slammed her fist into his back throwing him over the platform edge. Ruby used her Semblance to untwist herself from Emerald's chains slamming her head into Emerald's chest knocking her over. Raven landed behind the four of them pointing her blade forward ready for them to attack.

"Nothing is impossible for you, huh?" Qrow mocked smirking back at her.

"Fine, mock me while I save your friend, that's nice" she sighed in annoyance "Now let's get out of here"

"Right" Ozpin agreed.

Hazel jumped in front of them grabbing Ozpin and Qrow in each hand "You're not going anywhere!" he yelled furiously.

Weiss and Blake soared over their heads stabbing their blades into Hazel's chest causing him to nearly tip over from the force. Neo sprung up from behind him slamming her umbrella handle into the back of his head, Hazel's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he released Ozpin and Qrow.

"Blake, Weiss, Neo? You saved us?" Yang said confused. Neo planted her boot onto Hazel's chest smiling triumphantly.

"Good timing" Ruby laughed "We were in a pretty bad way for a second there"

"It's almost like you were waiting for it" Raven chuckled lightly.

"Enough" Salem scowled "You've changed nothing, you will not be escaping here-" she stopped midsentence looking down, her face contorting with fear "No, not again"

Raven looked down to find Slade's eyes opened emanating white flames, she released him in her surprise dropping him onto the floor. Slade soared up above them glaring at Salem as a large white scythe formed in his right hand.

"You will not be harming my family" Summer's and Slade's voice spoke in unison.

"Mom?" Ruby asked in shock.

"What's going on?" Cinder asked confused.

"We're leaving" Salem ordered vanishing from the room using her dark portal to escape.

"Yes, mistress" Tyrian followed quickly behind with Watts, Mercury and Emerald doing the same, Cinder growled in annoyance.

"This isn't the last you'll see of us" she warned as she allowed the darkness to envelope her.

Slade's scythe disappeared as he descended to the floor, his eyes returning to normal as a white silhouette of Summer left his body "Thank you" he smiled at her confusing the group.

"I only wish I could help you more, Salem's going to be desperate now" Summer replied.

"You've done more than enough, I'm sorry things didn't end well for you eleven years ago... but we're not going to fail this time" he grinned confidently.

"I know you wont. My family doesn't lose after all" she winked at the others.

"Is that really you?" Qrow asked still in shock, she nodded.

"How're you here? You're dead" Raven asked.

"Not quite, I'm still very much alive stuck with Salem, that's not going to remain much longer" she answered.

"What do you mean?" Ozpin asked not understanding "How're you inside Salem?"

"Salem's survival has relied heavily on her ability to leech off of others, when you kill her she simply moves her consciousness to another body stealing their memories and abilities, she deliberately targets powerful Huntresses; it's unusual that she'd target a male body as a host. Unfortunately for her mine was intentional, Silver eyes can draw out her essence from her body, I allowed her to enter my own not knowing about her parasitic nature" Summer explained.

"Cinder wasn't lying then" Ruby whispered to herself.

"That's why you left, you wanted to kill Salem so Ruby wouldn't have to" Qrow said in realization.

"I didn't just do it for Ruby" Summer replied "I did it for Yang as well, and Taiyang, Raven, Ozpin, Hunter and Topaz, and you too Qrow. I knew none of you would have to throw your lives away for this fight with Salem if I succeeded. If Salem was dead Raven wouldn't need to be scared and could return to be with Yang"

"You really were something else, Mom" Yang said wiping a tear from her eye.

"Don't cry, my dear" she said a stray tear falling from her face as well, she cupped her hand around Yang's face doing the same to Ruby with her opposite hand "I love you both so much... I'm sorry I failed to stop Salem, but I know you both have what it takes to stop her... together" she said as tears streamed down her ghostly face.

"It's a promise" Ruby said struggling to hold back tears of her own.

"Damn right it is" Yang agreed wrapping her arm around Ruby's shoulder as tears streamed down their faces.

"I promise I will do everything in my power to help you, but I can only do so much" Summer said taking their hands in hers as she slowly began to fade away "It's time for me to go now"

"We understand" Qrow sighed "We'll do everything we can"

"I promise to make it up to you, Summer" Raven promised wiping a single tear from her eye.

"Don't cry for me, my fate was sealed the moment I was foolish enough to take this burden on my own" Summer pleaded as she finally vanished from sight.

"Take care of them for me, won't you, Slade?" her voice echoed.

"I'll die before I let anything happen to them" he answered smiling warmly at them "They're my family too after all"

Ruby gently wrapped Slade into a hug "I'm so glad you're okay" she whispered into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I made you worry again, Ruby" he placed his finger beneath her chin pulling it up to look at him "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure you never have to worry about me again" he swore earning a small smile from Ruby.

"Good" she replied pulling him down into a passionate kiss, the others turned away slightly giving them a modicum of privacy. They separated smiling at each other "I'll hold you to that" Ruby suddenly smacked him in the back of the head "That's for teleporting me away without my permission!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry!" Slade held up his arm defensively as his opposite hand rubbed the back of his head.

"You two really are something else" Qrow chuckled "It's good to have you back, kid" he clapped his hand onto his shoulder.

"Good to be back, Qrow"

"Stop making us worry about you so much!" Yang yelled punching him hard in the shoulder.

"Yang..." he whined pouting.

"Don't "Yang" me! You keep getting yourself killed or captured! Next thing I know you're gonna find a way to put yourself in an even worse situation, you're lucky Salem's not walking around in your skin right now!" Yang scolded.

"She's right, Slade. Were it not for Raven, Salem would be in control of your body right now" Ozpin explained.

"Raven saved me?" Slade asked surprised.

"It was nothing really, I just don't like the idea of Salem having control over two forms of teleportation" Raven waved off. Slade approached Raven a small smile on his face.

"Guess that makes us even then" he extended his hand toward her. Raven stared at his hand dumbfounded "Are we in this together or are you leaving again?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

"I made a promise to Summer" she shook his hand smirking back at him "It's a promise I intend to keep this time" she looked over to Qrow, whom nodded approvingly toward her.

"You've already made up for what you've done in the past" Qrow chuckled "That is of course if you clear the air between you and Tai" he added causing Raven's good mood to deflate.

"Why'd you have to remind me of that?" she asked looking away dejectedly "Tai's not going to make that easy" she sighed.

"You do owe it to him for leaving on such short notice, Mom" Yang pointed out.

"Yeah... I know" Raven sighed once more.

"It's good working with you again, Raven" Ozpin smiled warmly.

"I still don't trust you" she replied "But I'm willing to look past our differences to help my... my family" she smiled turning to look at Qrow and Yang.

"You're finally back" Qrow chuckled.

* * *

"What're we just going to wait for him to wake up?" Roman asked staring at Hazel strapped to a large metal table, steel bars held him in place.

"We need to question him about what Salem's planning. We cannot stop something if we don't know what it is" Qrow explained.

"It's pretty obvious she's targeting Shade Academy" Slade pointed out.

"I will not send us on a fools errand only to find out we're wrong" Ozpin said "Summer said it herself, she's desperate now. Salem's capable of anything when backed into a corner"

"I say we beat it out of him" Raven shrugged.

"For once, I agree with the bandit queen" Roman chuckled at her scowl.

"Hopefully he'll tell us something" Slade sighed "Winter isn't having much luck getting anything out of Jacques and Ironwood isn't reliable anymore given all we've learned recently " sighed shaking his head.

"Indeed, we need something to go on here" Ozpin agreed.

"Contact me if you need me then" Slade said turning to leave the room.

"What're you going to be doing in the meantime?" Qrow asked.

"I haven't had a lot of time to relax with Ruby, that's what I'll be doing" he answered exiting the room.

"Leaving us with the hard work" Roman joked.

"After what he went through yesterday, Kid deserves a rest" Raven allowed a small smile to grace her features.

"How do we know we can trust you anymore? You continually run away when you're needed the most-" Tai began.

"Tai, please" Qrow sighed.

"Don't "Tai" me! Raven ran away when I needed her the most! When Yang needed her!" he yelled angrily.

"I know" Raven sighed shaking her head "I know I screwed up, but... you should be thanking me for leaving" Raven pointed out.

"How do you figure that?" Tai asked struggling to hide his anger.

"If I stuck around, Ruby would've never been born and Summer never would've gone to face Salem"

"I'd never regret having Ruby in my life, but how does Summer fighting Salem benefit me?" he asked confused.

"Think about it. Summer never fights Salem, Salem never gets her body, meaning she'd be stronger than she currently is and Slade's life would've played out differently possibly resulting in different but not necessarily better outcomes for the recent attacks. Everything that's happened never would've happened had I stayed... I could die content in the knowledge that Yang had the best life she could've had. Let's face it, I'm not very good at being a mother, or a wife, hell... I'm pretty terrible at being a friend and sister too" Raven explained.

"You're... glad you weren't in Yang's life?" Tai asked not understanding.

"If I was, she would've turned out much differently than she had today. I've never been prouder of her" Raven answered with a warm smile on her face.

"Y-you're... you're right" Tai sighed "I suppose now that I think about it, maybe it's been for the best" he relented.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry" Raven added extending her hand out to him "Friends?" she asked, Tai hesitated momentarily.

"Friends" he smirked shaking her hand. Neo began excitedly bouncing on the back of her heels.

"Looks like someone's happy about it" Roman laughed earning a laugh from the others as well.

Slade entered the living room finding his friends laughing boisterously, he smiled warmly at the sight before him.

"I'm telling you, I killed more than you!" Nora insisted.

"Assisting in killing the massive Goliath doesn't count as several kills" Ren pointed out.

"Ren! You're supposed to be on my side!" she wined punching him in the shoulder.

"Without adding the Goliath into the mix, how many did you kill then?" Yang asked smirking.

"Five sixty eight thank you very much" she answered crossing her arms proudly.

"Four seventy two" Weiss said.

"Four sixty" Ren supplied.

"Five forty one" Blake answered.

"Four hundred twenty" Jaune said.

"Five seventy" Pyrrha answered causing Nora to groan.

"Damn it!"

"We can't all be Pyrrha" Weiss laughed.

"How many did you get Yang?" Ruby asked.

"Five eighty nine" she answered smirking as she crossed her arms proudly, Nora and Weiss groaned.

"You just had to show up everyone didn't you?" Nora asked accusingly.

"I got captured!" Ruby yelled proudly.

"That's not something to brag about" Yang laughed, Ruby rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"I'm sure you would've doubled Yang's count" Slade chuckled alerting the room to his presence.

"Slade!" Ruby called grabbing him into a hug tipping him off balance.

"Woah there, Rubes. Let the boy sit down already" Yang chuckled.

"Sorry" Ruby recoiled quickly causing Slade to laugh.

"I'm glad to see you too, Ruby" his laugh died down to a low chuckle "Mind if we go somewhere private?" he asked, Ruby blushed lightly.

"I'd love that" she answered suppressing a small giggle.

"Shall we?" he asked holding his arm out for her to take, she gladly accepted.

"We shall"

"Watch this" Yang whispered to Blake "What was your count, Slade?" she called as he left.

"Thirteen hundred" he answered.

"Come on! That's not fair, he can teleport!" Nora yelled exasperatedly causing the group to laugh.

Ruby and Slade entered their room "Was there something specific you wanted to do?" Ruby asked.

"I have something in mind" he answered.

"Can we talk first?" she asked plopping down onto the bed.

"Absolutely" he answered sitting down on the bed next to her "Something bothering you?" he asked.

"No, not bothering me... just curious"

"About what?" he asked sharing in her curiosity.

"When you told me you liked me back at Beacon, I was so shocked I never got around to asking you... what was it that made you like me?" she asked "You told me why you wanted to date me but never what sparked your interest" she explained, he nodded.

"I believe I understand" he smiled "Well... I think it started not long after we met" he answered.

"Really? I know I liked you since we met, but the whole crush thing grew out of control pretty quickly" she said pulling her hair behind her ear shyly.

"After my parents died, I never felt that I should wish for things too much. I thought dreaming too big would just lead to failure and disappointment... then I met you, Ruby. You weren't afraid of anything, you taught me how to believe in myself again. I never thought a hero would ever come my way" he explained earning a small smile from her "But even more than that, I never thought I would fall in love with you the day we met" he added taking her hand in his.

"I love you too" she smiled a stray tear emerging from her eye.

"You showed me that I had a place to belong, that I could dream big and still achieve it" he continued wiping the tear with his thumb. Ruby pulled him down to meet her lips sharing a quick loving kiss.

"Thank you" she smiled brightly.

"For what?" he asked smiling back at her.

"Falling in love with a quirky girl like me" she answered.

"How about we take a night on the town, just the two of us" he offered.

"Like a d-date?" she stuttered a faint blush appearing on her face obviously excitedly.

"Of course, like a date. We haven't had much time for those since what happened back at Beacon" he chuckled.

"We didn't have a lot of time for them even before that" she giggled.

"We should change that, take more time for ourselves"

"Y-yeah s-sure, I'd love to!" she stuttered out.

"I'll go give you some time to get ready then" he smiled giving her a quick kiss on the lips before leaving.

"I won't be long!" she called after him.

"Crescent Rose stays here!" he called back.

"Not my baby! Aw!" she protested loudly.

* * *

"Anything you want to do first?" Slade asked as dusk set in, Ruby held his hand in hers lightly leaning against him as they walked.

"Hmm..." she hummed aloud "I think we've done enough window shopping, why don't we have dinner" she offered.

"Well then I'll have to make sure I find the perfect place for the perfect girl" he winked down at her earning another one of her giggles he loved hearing.

"You flatterer"

"I speak only the truth madam" he replied, she kissed him quickly as they continued walking, Slade blushed lightly as she snuggled up closer to him. They spent another two hours stopping at every weapons stall much to Slade's reluctance. Eventually he was able to wrench Ruby away long enough to agree on a place to eat, the waiter led them to a small table on a balcony overlooking the city of Atlas. Ruby began looking through the menu searching for her meal, Slade's eyes were fixated on her, not wishing to move. Eventually this drew Ruby's attention, peaking her curiosity.

"What? Is something on my face?" she asked.

"No" he answered.

"Then what're you smiling at?" she asked confused.

"The girl I fell for" he answered "I can't believe she's still here despite everything"

"What do you mean "Still here"? I never left" she asked trying to suppress her blush.

"After everything we've been through, everything that's happened, everything we've faced, everything that's changed. No one has been the same since Beacon, we do our best but we aren't perfect. All this talk of gods, relics, and Salem... through it all, you're still you" he answered.

"Still... me?" she asked.

"My beautiful little Ruby, always gushing over every weapon you pass, always holding my hand so tightly as if I'll float away if you let go, but best of all you're still so carefree" he explained.

"S-Slade..." she pushed her hair behind her ear turning away from him attempting to hide her growing blush, enjoying the affection he was giving her.

They both ordered their food as the waiter came back around. They spent most of their time reminiscing about old times back at Beacon, talking about what the future may hold, of course Slade never allowed an opportunity to get in a small joke or flirtatious comment to mess with Ruby. Time went by too fast for Slade, wishing he and Ruby could stay together like this with nothing to worry about forever.

"You want to head back? It's getting kind of late" Ruby asked "We can snuuuugle!" she added excitedly wriggling her eyebrows, earning a laugh from Slade.

"We should, but first I have a little something for you" Slade answered. Slade removed a small box from beneath his coat, sliding it over to Ruby. Opening it she found it to be a small Ruby colored rose locket necklace, she stared at it smiling happily.

"When'd you get this?" she asked.

"You kind of go into your own little world when you see a weapons stall" Slade chuckled.

"How did you afford this?" she asked surprised.

"Yang may have spotted me a little" he chuckled.

Ruby admired it taking it out of the box, she opened the center piece to find an engraving of Crescent Rose on one side and a picture of Ruby and Slade together on the other.

"Did you make this?" she asked in shock.

"You REALLY zone out at those weapon stalls" he laughed "I know it's a bit cheesy but I wanted you to always have a part of me with you so you know you'll never be alone" he explained.

"...You're so sweet you know that?"

Ruby stood from her chair unable to suppress her smile as she pulled him up from his, she delivered a soft kiss wrapping her arms around his chest to embrace him. Separating she turned around handing Slade the necklace, allowing him to put it on her. Ruby pawed her hands at it admiring it.

"I love you so much, Slade" she smiled down at it.

"I love you too, Ruby. More than anything" he kissed her cheek holding his arms around her waist as she leaned her head back into his shoulder.

"Ugh, could you two be anymore disgusting to watch?" Emerald asked from behind them, her arms crossed over her chest leaning against the balcony.

"Emerald!" Ruby said in surprise, Slade drew his pistol.

"Come any closer and I'll take your head off" he warned.

"I'm not here to fight, Slade" she sighed raising her hands defensively.

"Then why are you here?" Ruby asked. Emerald looked away unable to look them in the eye.

"I..."


	28. Desperation

**Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I just recently started a new job this week, so I had almost zero time for writing. Hopefully I'll be able to set aside some more time soon so I can get these last few chapters done for you guys. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven: Desperation**

"Master?" Cinder asked cautiously entering the room, Salem remained motionless looking out of the window over the dark wasteland she called home.

"What?" she snapped back.

"What exactly happened back there? How was Slade able to use an ability like that?" Cinder asked confused.

"Summer" she answered "She gave up the fight for control in order to help Slade, even if Raven hadn't intervened I wouldn't have his body right now" she explained.

"I've never seen you scared before, Master" Cinder pointed out.

"Emerald's gone" Salem replied ignoring her statement.

"I-I don't understand, what do you mean gone?" she asked confused.

"Emerald left us, when we all retreated here she never came back. Hazel has been captured by Ozpin... I fear they may learn of our contingency plan if we don't act fast" she explained.

"She's betrayed us?" Cinder asked in shock.

"She's been reluctant in following our orders since the attack on Vale" Salem answered "You were too blinded by her loyalty to you to see anything" Salem sighed, turning around the face Cinder "You are skirting on thin ice with me, my dear. One more mistake and I will throw you away like the garbage you've been handing me" she continued walking past Cinder without looking at her.

"I understand, Master. I will gather the others for our final assault"

"See that you do, I want those relics and I want them now"

"It will be done" she promised as she exited the room.

"Sounds like someone has earned our goddess's disfavor" Tyrian laughed "I'd-" he was interrupted by Cinder's hand on his throat.

"Another word and I'll rip your throat out, Tyrian" she growled throwing him to the ground in annoyance.

"I... don't... think so" he choked out waving his finger in front of her face "You... need... me"

"What makes you think that?" she asked releasing her hold on him.

"Without me... you'll never defeat... Slade" he coughed struggling to catch his breath.

"You think you can defeat him?"

"I killed his parents didn't I?" Tyrian laughed "I'm unsure if I can handle him alone, but I know you can't. You fight too arrogantly" he explained.

"So I have heard, it's high time I treated Slade with the respect he has earned from our previous dealings. I need you to focus on the assault, with you leading the Grimm on the ground I can sneak inside and steal the relic from Shade Academy" she replied.

"I can handle that, just make sure you handle your end. We wouldn't want to anger her now would we?" he laughed.

"Certainly not" she growled "I shall inform Mercury and Arthur of the change to our plan. Hopefully that will throw Slade and his friends off when it comes time to fight"

"Do as you wish, so long as you acquire the relic, I don't really care"

* * *

"Do we really want to wake him up?" Yang asked "He's not exactly the talkative type" she pointed out.

"What other option do we have, there's nothing we have to go on-" Tai began.

"Roman and I could get him to talk" Raven interjected cracking her knuckles.

"We're not animals, we do not torture for information" Jaune insisted.

"Not torture. Interrogation" Roman corrected.

"I know we all want information, but if we beat it out of him; how're we any different from Salem?" Ozpin asked.

"I believe we have a solution to that" Slade's voice called opening the front door with Ruby shortly behind him.

"Oooo, how'd the date go!?" Nora asked getting in their face "Spare no detail" she ordered looking to Ruby expectantly.

"As interested as we all are to know the details of their date, perhaps we should allow them to tell us what their plan is" Pyrrha suggested, deflating Nora's excitement.

"We can all hear about it later" Yang laughed agreeing with Pyrrha.

"What is your solution?" Qrow asked curiously, Slade and Ruby stood aside revealing an awkwardly fidgeting Emerald.

"Hi" she gave a light nervous wave.

"No" Weiss groaned "Tell me you didn't take her over to our side too" she pleaded.

"I'm afraid I didn't do anything" Slade replied.

"Emerald came to us because she's tired of standing watch while innocent people are getting hurt" Ruby explained.

"Always knew you were disgusted with working for Salem" Roman chuckled "Never expected you had the guts to actually betray her" Neo eyed her suspiciously.

"Why don't we allow Ms. Sustrai to explain herself" Glynda offered motioning for her to come closer, Emerald reluctantly followed her into the living room sitting down on the couch "Why don't you start from the beginning"

"I...I-I never wanted to hurt anyone... Cinder recruited me to her cause taking me off the streets. I owe her everything, but she's only interested in power like Salem. Cinder has been in disfavor with Salem since her failure to destroy Beacon and acquire the relic from the vault" she explained "I came here because I know you're the only ones who have a chance of stopping her, but not if you don't know what she's planning" she explained.

"You know what she's planning?" Ozpin asked struggling to hide his excitement "What is it? What does she intend to do?" he asked desperately.

"Professor, perhaps we should allow her to finish" Oobleck offered placing his hand onto Ozpin's shoulder concerned.

"I... apologies. I'm simply worried; we don't have much time"

"We don't" Emerald agreed.

"We?" Port asked.

"Being here instead of with Cinder already has me marked as a traitor by now, she's going to hunt me down whether I help you or not. To answer your question: No, I don't know Salem's plan, but I know someone who does" she looked over to the unconscious Hazel.

"You believe you can get him to talk?" Slade asked.

"I can do better than that with my Semblance" she replied.

"How do we know we can trust anything you say? Everything you show us could all just be an illusion from your Semblance" Yang pointed out struggling to conceal her anger.

"I know you have no reason to trust me, given everything I've done to you all... but without my help Salem is going to win, Hazel's never going to talk through conventional means, he can block out pain" she explained "Believe it or not, my Semblance isn't something I can just use on the fly. I need to focus tremendously for just one person, Hazel won't even have to be awake for it. Direct contact will grant me access to his subconscious forcing the answers out of him without Hazel's knowledge" she explained.

"You can make him tell us about Salem's plans without waking him up?" Ruby asked surprised.

"I'd say we give her a chance to show us first" Blake offered.

"You want something in return for helping us I take it?" Yang asked annoyed.

"I ask for nothing, but... if it's at all possible... when all this is over, if you could spare Cinder. I would be grateful" she replied.

"You really care about her don't you?" Raven asked surprised.

"I owe her everything" Emerald answered looking away.

"I still don't trust her" Sun shrugged.

"Trust doesn't play into it, she's going to have to earn that. For now we should accept any help we can get" Slade replied.

"Emerald, are you sure you can do this?" Ozpin asked.

"I can do it, I just need the chance to show you" she answered, the group looked between each other silently debating their options. Everyone turned to Ozpin nodding their heads in agreement.

"It's agreed then, show us" Ozpin offered gesturing toward Hazel.

"Thank you, I promise you won't regret this" Emerald replied standing, she approached Hazel. Everyone present had their hands hovering over their weapons just in case. Emerald placed her hands onto each side of his head "Hello, Hazel" she smirked.

"Master" he greeted.

"Are you prepared for our next strike?" she asked.

"Vacuo will never see it coming" he replied.

"Vacuo?" Sun said in shock "She's targeting my home"

"When will you be prepared to strike? How long until we're ready?" she asked.

"Not long, we already have the Grimm in position for the assault. We await Cinder's orders as planned"

"Review the plan with me" Emerald ordered.

"Master?" he asked confused.

"I want to ensure you know precisely what's going on so we don't fail, again" she answered.

"Of course. Arthur and I will be leading the Grimm assault against the city while Cinder and Tyrian infiltrate Shade to obtain the relic"

"What about Mercury?" she asked.

"He's supposed to be a back up in case either of us needs assistance"

"When is the attack, how many Grimm?" she asked.

"We attack tomorrow, at dawn. We're implementing the remaining Grimm forces we have while you create more of course" he answered.

"Anything else?"

"Of course, the war machine Watts created is ready for deployment once the battle is underway"

"War machine?" Ruby asked.

"Tell me more about the war machine, do you know how it works"

"Watts hasn't told me the specifics behind the workings of the machine. So long as it gets the job done, I'm not going to complain" he answered.

"Thank you, Hazel"

"Your grace" he bowed his head as she released him, Emerald turned back to the group expectantly.

"Sounds like she's not taking any chances this time" she sighed.

"Then neither are we, let's ensure she cannot obtain the relic-" Ozpin began.

"We're gonna need more than just us to fight off the Grimm and protect the relic if she's attacking tomorrow" Slade pointed out.

"If they're attacking at dawn, we only have a eight hours" Glynda sighed "We don't have a lot of time"

"Indeed, but Shade doesn't have enough seasoned Huntsmen available after the attacks. Grimm have been attacking the kingdoms nonstop since Beacon's destruction" Qrow pointed out.

"Then we call in all of them" Ruby said.

"All of who?" Ozpin asked surprised.

"All the Huntsmen and Huntresses from the four kingdoms, the local forces and military as well. Hazel said all of the remaining Grimm they have at their disposal are going to be attacking the city, Slade's right about us not being able to secure the relic in time if that's the case" Ruby explained.

"How exactly would we convince them all to fight to defend Vacuo? We're not exactly on the best of terms with the other kingdoms" Sun pointed out.

"We tell them the truth" Slade answered.

"Absolutely not!" Ozpin yelled "Telling them the truth would only ensure the world finds out about Salem, there'd be massive panic-"

"Every Grimm surviving is going to be in the fight tomorrow, we have enough problems trying to get there in time considering tomorrow is only in a few hours. We have eight hours to round up as many as we can to fight against them. Salem's greatest weapon has always been anonymity, it's time we removed that particular weapon from her arsenal" Slade interjected glaring at Ozpin.

"But... are you sure the world is ready to handle the truth?" Ozpin asked almost timidly.

"I sure as hell wasn't when you told me about it. This is about whether we're prepared or not, Salem is attacking regardless of what we do. The least we can do is give them a fighting chance, the choice to fight and die for a future" he answered.

"How do you plan on telling them?"

"Ironwood has the capability of communicating with the entire world instantaneously, I say we use it to our advantage" Weiss said thoughtfully.

"That's not a bad idea" Winter agreed "Of course we'd have to get his permission-"

"I'd like to see him try and tell us no" Raven laughed.

"I say we go for it" Roman agreed "We don't exactly have anything to lose at this point"

"Then it's decided" Oobleck smirked "We'll reveal Salem to the world, she'll never be able to hide again"

"How much should we tell them?" Ozpin asked unsure.

"Everything" Slade answered.

* * *

Coco and Velvet sat outside a café in the city of Vale both enjoying their meal together late at night.

"It's been too long since we've been able to just relax together like this" Coco said taking a sip from her glass.

"We've all been so busy keeping the Grimm in check since the attack" Velvet shrugged "Someone's gotta do it"

"Don't get me wrong, Velvet. I understand why we've been so busy, I just miss the whole team being together. RWBY and JNPR have been gone since Slade's funeral"

"I wonder what they've been up to" Velvet tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully.

"I have no idea, something Professor Ozpin assigned them. Speaking of Ozpin, hasn't he been gone for awhile too?" Coco asked.

"I wondered about that too, Ozpin left not long before the White Fang attempted an attack on Mistral, and Professor Goodwitch took Oobleck and Port with her for something important" Velvet answered "You think it's a coincidence?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if Ozpin left to stop the attack without telling anyone, he's always been a strange one" Coco sighed.

"Did you hear about the attack on Atlas?" Velvet asked.

"Everyone's heard about it, you don't get attacked by an army of Grimm twice the size of what we faced without people finding out" she nodded in response "You think RWBY and JNPR are alright?" she asked changing the subject.

"I hope so, I know Blake left not long after the attack and Ruby... I really hope Ruby is alright"

"Because of Slade" Coco sighed shaking her head in disappointment "He's the last guy I would've expected to die during the attack, he was tougher than any one of us could've been"

"I never met someone like him before, he was so cold toward people... but behind that hard exterior he was the kindest person you'd ever meet, even to Faunus like me"

"That's because Slade had an incredibly open mind, not like the majority of us" she chuckled "He was a hell of a guy"

"You can say that again, Ruby was one lucky girl" there was a brief silence between them as they finished their meals "Do you think we should call them?" Velvet asked looking at her scroll in her hand "Just to see if they're alright-" she began stopping at Coco's expression "Coco?" she asked concerned.

Coco lowered her sunglasses to see better "I don't believe it" she gasped in surprise.

"Believe what?" Velvet asked turning around, she found the advertisement hologram in the city square replaced by a massive image of Slade "What're they advertising something for the statue up at the school?" she asked confused.

"Velvet" Coco called regaining her attention, she was pointing to a nearby television with Slade standing in what appeared to be an office room similar to Ozpin's.

"What's going on?" Velvet asked in confusion looking between the TV screen and the hologram of him in the city square.

"People of Remnant" Slade began "This will come as a surprise to many of you, especially those of you who recognize me. My name is Slade Stroud, I was reportedly killed during the attack on Vale some time ago. I can proudly announce that I am not dead, I am still very much alive as you can all see. That's not what I'm here to talk about though" the image explained.

"Slade's alive!?" Coco shouted standing from her place at the table.

"As much of a shock as it may be to hear of my survival for some of you, it's not the hardest truth you'll hear today" he continued "Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy isn't precisely who everyone thinks he is. Ozpin isn't just a teacher, he's actually the first human ever created. I say created because he wasn't born, he has no parents because he was created by the gods responsible for the creation of Remnant. Ozpin was the only human created with a power that rivaled their own, they deemed it unnecessary for us to have such power, instead gifting us each with a unique Semblance and aura" Slade explained.

"You think any of this is real?" Velvet asked "This could all be a trick by those people who attacked us"

"If you don't believe what I have told you, why don't you hear it from the man himself" Slade stepped aside replaced by an image of Ozpin.

"Professor?" Coco gasped.

"I know this is all very hard to hear, even harder to believe... but everything Slade has said and will say is true. I have kept things from public knowledge trying to protect you all from the greatest threat this world will ever face. I regret to inform you all, it's an evil of my own making" he sighed "Please, listen to what he has to say, and know he speaks with my authority" he stepped aside allowing Slade to continue.

"Tomorrow at dawn, an army of Grimm will be attacking the kingdom of Vacuo. The Grimm have a leader, her name is Salem" Slade said shocking everyone watching "Salem is after a relic hidden beneath Shade Academy, one of four relics hidden beneath the four Huntsmen Academies. If she were to succeed in acquiring even one of them, everyone would be at risk. She seeks to possess all four of these relics capable of immeasurable destruction, if she succeeds, Salem could end humanity's existence on a whim" Slade explained.

"You buying any of this?" someone watching the television asked annoyed.

"Were you at the battle for Beacon?" Coco asked struggling to keep her anger in check.

"No, were you?" he asked accusingly.

"Yeah, a lot of my friends almost died that night. Slade's the only reason we were able to stop the attack at all, we're all lucky to be alive thanks to him" she replied "I can assure you, anything he's saying is the absolute truth" Coco insisted.

"I know this isn't what you were all expecting to hear on the evening news tonight. I know all of this is hard to believe, I've been in your position before. Learning of something so crazy that it might just be true... You all have a choice before you tonight. Tomorrow Salem will be sending an army of Grimm to attack Vacuo in a vain attempt to obtain the relic regardless of what you decide. You all have the choice to come to Vacuo and help fight for your kingdom, for your family, for your friends, for yourself... or to remain in your homes and hope for the best, to pray someone else does it for you. Personally, I've never been the type to stand by and watch when someone needs help, but that's nothing compared to what's happening tomorrow morning. If we fail, it's not just our lives that will be ending, it'll be everyone's, everywhere. Men and women, human and Faunus, old and young... all of us could die tomorrow if she wins"

"This is crazy!" someone yelled behind Velvet.

"I know what I'm asking of you is a lot, but I have to try. I ask you all to fight with us against the Grimm, to end the war with Salem that's waged for countless centuries... My friends and I will be fighting first thing tomorrow regardless. I want you all to ask yourself something... if the world ends tomorrow, and you had the chance to try and stop it, would you? Even if it meant you might die fighting, even if it meant you've never fought a day in your life and you have no idea what you're doing? Could you forgive yourselves if you didn't?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest "I'd like to believe many of you are like me, I refuse to stand by and wait for someone else to solve my problems, I would rather die fighting for those I love than vanish because someone doesn't believe humanity deserves to exist" he finished "That is all I have to say, the rest is up to you... I hope you'll make the right choice" he vanished from the television and hologram in the city being replaced by the scheduled advertisements.

Coco closed her fists, gaining a determined glint in her eye "I don't plan on rolling over to die just yet"

"I'll fight!" someone yelled.

"You couldn't even take me in a fight, you think you can take on a Grimm?" her friend asked.

"I can try!" she insisted.

"Hell yeah you can!" someone agreed "I say we all fight!"

"You're all insane!" another yelled.

"You'd rather sit around and wait to find out if someone else handled it?" Velvet asked in shock "Are you really that afraid?"

"I don't want to die" he argued.

"If you do nothing, death is a certainty" Coco said getting into his face "I'd rather die with a gun in my hand than sitting in a corner scared, hoping someone is braver than me"

"I'm with her! I'm ready to fight!" the man behind her yelled enthusiastically.

"How're we even supposed to get to Vacuo?" the man from before asked "It's not exactly like we can fly there"

The television shifted to a incoming news report "Sorry to interrupt you're regularly scheduled program, this is Lisa Lavender, reporting live-" the anchor announced.

"What now!?" one of the men yelled annoyed.

"-Authorities from the kingdoms of Atlas, Vale, and Mistral are reporting available transports for Huntsmen and volunteers for the fight for Vacuo. All applicants are accepted and shall be armed with standard equipment along with basic training on the airships on the way to Vacuo. If you're prepared to go fight for our survival as a species report to the docking stations near you for temporary enlistment" Lisa finished explaining standing up from her chair "I hope to see you all on the battlefield" she added leaving the building.

"The news anchor is volunteering?" one of the women said in shock.

"I'm not being outdone by a news anchor!" another yelled followed by several agreements from the crowd surrounding the TV.

"Looks like Slade's about to get his army" Coco chuckled.

"Let's get going then, we don't have much time to prepare for the attack" Velvet said earning a nod of agreement from Coco.

"I'll call in the rest of the team, we have a job to do" she removed her scroll from her jacket pocket.

"Good idea"

* * *

Ruby signaled to Slade indicating the connection had been severed "You're clear"

"Good, we need to get ourselves to Vacuo to prepare for the attack with what little time we have left" Slade sighed.

"Do you think anyone is going to show up?" Roman asked.

"The Huntsmen will at the very least" Qrow replied "Let's just make sure we're ready" he turned to leave.

"Thank you for allowing me to do this, General" Slade said to Ironwood.

"Summer placed her faith in you to stop Salem, I've never known anyone I trusted more than her... despite my reservations about you" he sighed "You'll have the full support of Atlas, what's left of it" he saluted.

"There's no need for that, General. I'm not in charge of you or your men. Everyone fighting tomorrow should be fighting because they choose to be" he waved his hand dismissively.

"That's very kind of you. Do you think we'll have the time to secure the relic before the attack?" he asked curiously.

"We have less than six hours before the attack starts now, it'll take us at least three or four to get there by air. That leaves us with two hours at the most to plan our strategy. I can transport the relic with the others so she can't ever reach them, but that won't stop the attack. It'll only change me to the target" Slade sighed shaking his head in annoyance.

"Let's just focus on getting there first" Ruby said trying to take his mind off Salem.

"Good idea" Ozpin agreed "Why concern ourselves with something we have no control over yet?" he added leading them outside.

"I've prepared an airship while you were giving your speech to the rest of the kingdoms. Surely Vacuo has already started preparing their defenses by now. I arranged for Winter to handle transport for our troops, Huntsmen, and volunteers aboard our remaining transports" Ironwood explained.

"Good" Ozpin nodded smiling lightly "We might just have a chance at pulling this off"

"We wouldn't have this chance without Emerald" Slade pointed out.

"Ah, yes, Ms. Sustrai. I'm reluctant to trust her, but right now we need every advantage we can get" Ironwood mused aloud "Hopefully she proves as reliable as Mr. Torchwick and Neo have been"

"I knew you'd warm up to me" Roman chuckled.

"Don't push it" Ironwood warned.

"What about Hazel?" Ozpin asked "What're we doing with him?"

"He's being held in our most secure cell, he won't be getting out while we're away" he answered.

They arrived at the airship finding the whole team waiting for them excluding Winter "Ready to go?" Qrow asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be" Slade sighed.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Nora yelled excitedly.

"What're you so excited for?" Weiss asked surprised.

"The chance to beat you all in kill count!" Nora answered.

"Nora..." Ren groaned.

"As if!" Yang laughed "I'm still gonna have leagues more than you!"

"I'll take that bet!" Ruby yelled enthusiastically.

"I'm excited to see how well I will do compared to the rest of you" Pyrrha admitted.

"Don't count me out! I'm gonna get way more than you guys will!" Jaune shouted earning a laugh from the group.

"How can you all always be so happy?" Emerald asked confused.

"You'll get used to it" Roman chuckled.

"Will I?" she asked not believing him, Neo shrugged.

"I haven't" Raven groaned.

"You'd think they'd take something like this more seriously" Glynda agreed.

"Let them have these few moments" Ozpin sighed "They may not all be coming back from the battle tomorrow"

"Quite right, Professor. These children deserve these brief moments of reprieve from the darkness Salem forces upon them" Oobleck agreed.

"It's better than the alternative, they could all be depressed about everything" Tai smiled warmly.

"We've already dealt with that quite enough after what happened at Beacon" Port agreed "Ms. Xiao Long certainly had her rough patch"

"Emerald?" Slade called earning her attention.

"Yes?"

"I have some questions for you, figured we have plenty of time to talk on the trip" his friends crowded around them having finished their conversation.

"I suppose I can answer them, just don't expect me to know everything" she pointed out.

"You've been with Salem for some time now, correct?" Slade asked.

"Yes"

"Did Salem ever tell you how exactly she plans on using the relics?"

"Salem only ever told us that the relics were too powerful for one person to use, even her" she answered.

"Salem can't use them all?" he asked surprised.

"No, not even with all of the power she has. The relics are so powerful they would destroy her"

"How does she intend to use them all then?" he asked confused.

"I know she's spent a lot of time creating something able to give her control over the relics all at once"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, it could be a weapon or something completely different. She could be creating a vase for all I know, I just know it's supposedly going to allow her to have control over the relics"

"Then we need to make sure she never gets her hands on them" Ruby concluded.

"That's the plan" Yang agreed.

"How exactly do we plan on doing that?" Emerald asked curiously.

"I can transport the relic to the realm my Semblance holds control over, the other two relics are there as well"

"Wouldn't that just make you the target then?" Emerald asked "If Salem get's control of your body she could get the relics with ease"

"You're not wrong" Slade sighed "We're going to have to be extra careful"

"James, we're going to have to do something about Salem's imprint on your brain" Ozpin pointed out.

"What exactly can be done?" Ironwood asked curiously.

"Salem's power and my own are similar, I should be able to remove her imprint by placing my own" he answered.

"It's worth a shot I suppose, I don't want Salem forcing me to fight you all during the attack. We've enough problems to deal with"

"Then let us begin" Ozpin placed his hand onto Ironwood's forehead "New keyword: kakorrhaphiophobia"

"Keyword accepted" Ironwood replied.

"Reject command interface, accept no further orders" Ozpin replied removing his hand from Ironwood's forehead.

"Command interface closed"

"James?" Ozpin asked concerned.

"What just happened?" Ironwood asked confused.

"You're free now, James. Salem won't be able to imprint your brain any longer" Ozpin answered with a small smile.

"Good... then we should focus on our plan for tomorrow. The rest of you should get some rest while you can, we don't know the next time we'll have the opportunity" Ironwood ordered.

"Sounds good to me!" Nora agreed plopping down on the floor falling asleep almost instantaneously.

"How did she...?" Weiss let her sentence hang in her puzzlement.

"I've learned not to question it" Ren shrugged.


	29. Remnant

**Sorry for the wait guys! I barely had any time to work on this chapter between being swamped with work and Fathers Day, thankfully I was able to use some time today to stamp out the last of this chapter and a good portion of the next one. Once I have it refined a bit I will publish it, I would expect the next chapter within the next few days. To anyone still wondering (Even though I answered this particular question already in a previous chapter) I will be ending this story in the next few chapters, I wouldn't expect anymore than three or four more chapters at this point. Thank you all for your continued support and patience, hope you all like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Remnant**

Ironwood's personal airship arrived in Vacuo over the city with the rest of the Atlesian transports close behind.

"Welcome to Vacuo!" Sun yelled gesturing to the vast desert wasteland surrounding the city.

"Not the most welcoming sight I've ever seen before" Raven shrugged at his glare.

"Yeah? Well no one asked you!" he called back.

"Ignore her" Blake pulled on his arm.

"Looks like Slade's plan came through after all" Roman pointed out gesturing to the parked airships surrounding the city.

"Those ships are from Mistral, and Vale!" Ruby shouted excitedly "People actually came!"

"Did you think they wouldn't?" Weiss asked.

"I'll be honest, I was skeptical" Yang answered.

"We need to get straight to business, we have less than two hours until dawn" Ironwood reminded the group.

"Then let's get right too it. James, I want you to start organizing the local militia with the ground troops. Qrow and Glynda, you'll both be handling the Huntsmen and Huntresses from the kingdoms. Slade, take Sun, Nora, and Pyrrha with you to Shade Academy and secure the relic before the attack starts. The rest of you fall in with Qrow, I will be assisting James" Ozpin ordered pointing between everyone.

"Yes, sir!" most of them replied immediately.

"Be careful" Ruby warned kissing Slade on the cheek "You better stay safe during the fight"

"Don't get captured this time" Slade smirked turning away from her, following Sun, Pyrrha and Nora toward the academy.

"That happened one time!" she protested as he grabbed them by the shoulders vanishing from the airship, appearing atop a nearby rooftop.

"We need to be quick, I've called Neptune to meet us at the entrance. He'll take us right to the headmaster so we can grab the relic" Sun explained.

"Good, Salem's not going to wait around forever before she attacks" Slade noted aloud.

"We'll be ready for her!" Nora said enthusiastically.

"You certainly will be" Sun laughed.

"There's no doubt about that" Pyrrha agreed chuckling.

"Let's get a move on" Slade ordered leading them toward the school overlooking the city from a nearby cliff.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Sun waved off.

They silently climbed the path to the top of the cliff finding several armed soldiers guarding the entrance, one of them stood on a higher level above the others overlooking the courtyard.

"Think they're ready for something like this?" Nora asked uncharacteristically serious.

"No one is truly ready for this, we can only do our best" Slade answered sighing.

"Hey! Guys!" Neptune's voice called from the doorway "Over here!" he waved as they approached.

"Neptune!" Sun called excitedly grabbing him into a hug "How've you been!"

"Better than you've been" Neptune laughed as they separated "I hear you were involved in repelling the attacks on Atlas and Mistral"

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't" he shrugged.

"Slade" Neptune greeted.

"Good to see you, Neptune" Slade replied in turn.

"We all thought you were dead"

"I'm aware" Slade replied "I'd love to be able to explain the miraculous story of my survival, but we're pressed for time"

"So I've heard, we should get right to business. The Headmaster has requested your presence in the amphitheater" Neptune explained turning around leading them inside the school.

"When did the other kingdoms forces arrive?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"They arrived shortly before you did" Neptune answered.

"The headmaster is waiting for us in the amphitheater, I assume this is where the entrance to the vault resides?" Slade asked.

"I only know that it exists, not it's location, but I understand she's impatient for you to arrive" he replied.

"We should hurry up then" Nora pointed out.

Slade gripped his forehead in pain "Slade, what's wrong?" Pyrrha asked.

"Something is wrong" Slade groaned "I can feel-" the walls around them suddenly exploded violently throwing them to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Neptune asked standing back up quickly.

"The attack has started!" Nora yelled "What's going on!? The attack wasn't supposed to start for at least another hour!"

"Looks like Salem's a bit overeager" Slade sighed standing up "We need to secure the relic, now" he rushed ahead.

"Take a right at the end of the hall!" Neptune called following behind him. Upon reaching the amphitheater they were met by pure destruction with bodies littering the floor, several impaled by Nevermore feathers.

"What happened here? Where's the Headmaster?" Neptune asked grabbing one of the disoriented soldiers.

"I don't know what happened, one minute we're preparing and the next Nevermore feathers pierced the roof killing several good men, including the Headmaster" she answered.

"She's dead?" Nora asked in shock.

"Look out!" Sun yelled noticing several Grimm charging into the hallway, an explosion tore Neptune from the soldier throwing them both to the ground nearby.

"They're coming from both sides!" Pyrrha yelled pointing the opposite direction, Nora charged ahead meeting them head on.

"Those aren't just Grimm" Slade pointed out, referring to the White Fang insignia on soldiers charging with the Grimm.

Sun walked past Neptune as he got to his knees checking the soldier next to him, only finding she was dead. Dust charged rounds soared past Sun as he walked removing his nunchucks from their holsters firing with deadly accuracy, he spun around a round headed for his chest firing off several more shots dropping the White Fang troops rushing toward him, two Ursa made their way toward him. Neptune stood removing his weapon from his back standing next to Sun both of them firing for the Ursa's quickly killing them.

"Just like old times!" Sun laughed.

"I'd be alright if we never have to do this again" Neptune pointed out with a shrug.

Nora and Pyrrha easily cut through the soldiers and Grimm attacking them, Slade firing his rifle keeping any strays from harming them. Sun and Neptune entered the room with them sealing it off from the hallway and breaking the door controls.

"That should hold them for now" Pyrrha noted "We need to contact Professor Ozpin and find out what's going on"

"Agreed, without the Headmaster all we can do is defend the entrance to the relic-" Slade stopped midsentence at who he witnessed in front of him.

* * *

"Is everything in place?" Watts asked approaching Cinder.

"Yes, the White Fang and the Grimm are prepared to destroy Vacuo for us. We simply need to do our part"

"How did you convince them to fight with us? Slade's speech certainly didn't do us any favors" Watts asked curiously.

"I simply promised them what they wanted, the Faunus would survive and the humans wouldn't"

"You know Salem won't uphold that deal"

"I do" Cinder grinned back at him.

"Do not fail me again" Salem warned startling them both.

"O-of course, Master" Cinder stuttered out fearfully.

"Begin your attack" Salem ordered turning away from them.

"Now?" Watts asked "What about Hazel?"

"Hazel shall join you shortly... Slade has recruited the majority of the kingdoms forces to assist in the defense of Vacuo" Salem answered "The longer you wait, the harder it will be to destroy them"

"We'll begin right away. Come, Arthur" Cinder motioned for him to follow "Tyrian shall lead the charge against their defenses. We're going straight for the relic" Cinder explained as a dark portal opened in front of her.

"As you say, Cinder" he followed her through the portal arriving outside Shade Academy.

"Hold it right there!" yelled one of the guards, they were quickly surrounded.

"I know who you are, you're not getting past us" another growled. Cinder held her hands up in surrender with a smirk gracing her features.

Cinder's right hand suddenly had a blade of flame held in it's grasp, she easily cut through the two guards in front of her, turning she unleashed a powerful gust of wind throwing the guards to her right against a wall cracking their skulls, she turned throwing the blade into the overlooking guard before he could call for help. The blade vanished as she continued to walk inside the building.

"Impressive" Watts chuckled "Perhaps this will be easy after all"

"Don't underestimate our enemy, I've made that mistake far too many times" Cinder warned. Looking up she nodded before entering the building completely. Mercury nodded back from his vantage point, turning around he leapt up to an opening sneaking inside the school's upper level. Once inside he found two guards on his left and one to his right. Mercury spun kicking his legs firing rounds into their backs before they had the chance to react.

"I'm in position" Mercury spoke through his earpiece.

"Excellent, proceed when you're ready" Cinder ordered.

"Understood"

"Tyrian, you ready?" Mercury asked.

"Standing by" he answered.

"Begin your assault"

"On it, starting up the war machine now. The Grimm and Fang shall lead the charge" he replied.

The school was suddenly surrounded by a small army of Grimm and White Fang troops exiting from dark portals created by Mercury, Nevermore flooded the sky around them launching feathers through the building. Cinder killed anyone standing in their way as they approached the amphitheater, knowing the vault to be housed there.

"Look who it is" Cinder laughed entering the room watching as Neptune destroyed the door controls for the opposite entrance "Ozpin's little helpers"

"Cinder" Slade growled "You started the attack early"

"Emerald gave you far too much time to act, we saw your speech. Uplifting, really... but they're gonna be disappointed when you fail"

"Arrogant as always, you'd think after all the times you've failed Salem you'd have learned by now to be humble"

"What're we gonna do?" Sun asked.

"Contact, Ozpin. Now" Slade answered "Pyrrha, you and I are going to handle these two for now. Nora keep Sun and Neptune safe while they call for reinforcements" he ordered.

"You've got it" Nora replied.

"Let's get to it then" Cinder smirked forming a blade in her hand as Watts equipped a staff. They charged each other both prepared for battle.

Slade flipped forward dodging Watts's strike for his legs while Pyrrha slid under Cinder as she flipped overhead. Cinder struck for Pyrrha only to meet her shield instead. Pyrrha blocked several more strikes as Slade went on the offensive with Watts. Watts turned mid-strike clashing with Pyrrha's blade as Cinder switched to strike Slade at that moment, forcing him to twist to block the strike. Slade pushed Cinder's blade to the side turning away from her, she spun around to strike Pyrrha once more as Watts flipped between them striking low, Slade spun through the air over his staff. Once firmly planted on the ground he blocked the opposite side of the staff from striking his face, Slade spun his blade under his arm striking for Watts's left side forcing him to arc his staff to block.

Watts spun his staff around from it's position, causing Slade to duck as he slid forward under the staff. Rising to his feet he turned only to lean back away from the staff as Watts attempted to impale him, spinning his blade once he struck down on the staff forcing Watts to his knees then again to the right as Watts deflected the strike with the opposite end.

Mercury dropped in front of Nora smirking at her "Long time no see, psycho" he chuckled.

"I'll take that as a compliment" Nora shrugged leaping toward him slamming her hammer into the ground as he leapt over her head.

"Stupid as always" he laughed rushing toward Sun and Neptune.

"Look out!" Nora called barely fast enough.

Neptune turned around as Mercury struck toward Sun swiftly blocking his kick with his own weapon "Nice try, punk"

"Two on one?" Mercury asked looking back at Nora charging toward him "That's not fair for you both. Sun should help out, you know, to make it fair" he smirked.

"I'm gonna wipe that smirk right of your ugly face!" Nora yelled swinging Magnhild violently. Mercury back flipped over her strike kicking her in the chest, causing her to slide backward.

"Bring it" he gestured for them to try again confidently.

Cinder struck low meeting Pyrrha's blade, grabbing her shoulder with her free hand she slammed her knee into Pyrrha's abdomen dropping her onto her knees painfully. Slade twisted around throwing his blade over Watts as he ducked under the blade, Obsidian collided with Cinder's blade as she struck down toward Pyrrha causing her to miss the strike as her blade swung behind her back, Pyrrha stood quickly jumping up to kick Cinder in the chest throwing her onto her back. Obsidian clattered to the floor as Slade blocked Watts staff with his gauntlets, spinning his staff around Slade created an opening elbowing him in the face stumbling him back. Watts turned unleashing lightning from his hands as Pyrrha leapt toward him prepared to strike, Slade back handsprung under his staff as he turned back toward him using his aura he slammed his palm into Watt's abdomen throwing him through the air, Watts collided with the ground rolling to his knees.

 _So that's his Semblance? How ironic_ Slade thought to himself.

Mercury struggled to keep up with Nora and Neptune as they worked perfectly in synch. Neptune's weapon changed into it's rifle form as Nora leapt toward Mercury, he smirked up at her confident in his ability to defeat her, Neptune fired his weapon for his legs forcing him back to avoid it. Mercury fired his boot toward Neptune only for Nora to slam her hammer down firing Magnhild breaking his metal leg in half with the force.

"Augh! You bitch!" Mercury yelled dropping onto his back in pain "Do you have any idea how expensive those things are!?" he asked.

"Don't really care" Nora shrugged swinging her hammer around expertly as she prepared to strike him again.

"No, no, wait-!" Mercury attempted to stop her as she smashed him into the ground, Mercury's bones could be heard shattering from the violent strike.

"Well... that's one more out of the way" Neptune said chuckling at Nora's carefree expression.

"You alright, Pyrrha?" Slade asked standing between her and their enemies.

"I'm okay" she groaned getting to her feet.

"Sun! What's going on out there!" Slade yelled back toward him.

"Ozpin said they're fighting off an army of Grimm and White Fang. Some giant machine is barreling toward the city" Sun answered.

"Machine..." Slade pondered momentarily.

"Mercury is dead!" Nora called excitedly.

"What?!" Cinder shouted in anger.

"It appears we're on our own in here now" Watts sighed.

"Pyrrha, you need to go. They need you out there"

"But-"

"Your Semblance can stop their war machine. I'll handle this" Slade assured.

"Are you sure?" she asked concerned.

"Go, you're needed elsewhere" he replied "Nora! Take Sun and Neptune to the fight, your team needs you!" he ordered.

"What about you?" Nora asked.

"I'll be fine, go help them out then send someone back here once things have turned our way" Slade smiled comfortingly back at them. Slade charged toward Cinder and Watts.

"You better stay alive long enough for help to get here!" Nora yelled rushing toward the exit with Sun and Neptune.

"Slade!" Pyrrha called throwing her blade toward him, Slade twisted catching it in his free hand then continued his charge.

"Yet I'm the arrogant one?" Cinder asked looking over to Watts, he shrugged in response. Slade expertly spun the blades in his hands blocking all attacks from them as Pyrrha quickly exited. Slade flipped forward over Watts's staff as Cinder rolled forward under his blade, extending Pyrrha's into a javelin he blocked Cinder's blade and Watts's staff with opposite ends, then used his blade to block the opposite side of Watts's staff.

"I'm not arrogant, I don't believe I have a chance at winning this fight. I fight because I know I need to, to protect my friends!" Slade forced them back using his strength, he shortened the javelin into a blade crossing it with his own to block Watts's lightning. Cinder struck for his face only for the lightning to be redirected for her throwing her back. Cinder's blade swung as she fell toward Watt's face forcing him to stop his attack stepping aside to avoid the attack. Slade spun on the back of his heels toward Watt's striking with his blade slashing across his face, leaving a scar over his right eye.

"You son of a bitch!" Watts groaned turning back to face him.

"Oops" Slade shrugged.

Slade displayed his blade mastery as he easily deflected the attacks from both his assailants flipping through the air over their strikes as he blocked several more. Slamming his hand into the ground using his aura he created a shockwave catching Cinder off balance. Watts spun his staff striking down on Slade as he stood back up, his attacks were easily redirected using both of the weapons at his command. Slade spun under a strike for his head, arcing Obsidian over his head he stopped the staff from retuning to his proper side as the sword in his right hand switched to a javelin stabbing Watts in the abdomen. Watts slumped onto the floor gasping painfully as Slade removed the Javelin, using his Semblance, he transported the weapon back to Pyrrha.

"How's it feel to know everything you've worked for, all the power you've stolen, means nothing" he chuckled.

Cinder growled in response "You're starting to get on my nerves"

Slade shrugged "I tend to have that effect on people" he prepared for her ensuing attack "Let's see what you've got"

 _Hurry up, guys. I can't keep this up forever_

Cinder approached the injured Watts as he dragged himself to his feet "You've failed, Arthur"

"Apologies... I'm a spy not a warrior" Watts gasped struggling to keep himself upright, succumbing to the pain he dropped onto his knees in agony.

"Don't worry, Arthur. You won't be feeling pain for much longer" Cinder grinned "Rest now" she sliced her blade through his chest from behind killing him instantly.

"You... he was your partner. How could you-" Slade asked in surprise.

"Kill him? Arthur was injured, he became a liability. I simply removed him from the equation" Cinder explained as if it were simple.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised by your callousness" Slade sighed.

"You're compassion for others is your greatest weakness, an easily exploitable one at that"

"Say's the one always losing" Slade taunted with a small smirk.

* * *

"What's the situation?" Ozpin asked watching as the armies of the four kingdoms prepared for battle in the field.

"We've already handled the battle plan, Professor" answered Ghira smiling at him.

"Mr. Belladonna?" Ozpin asked in surprise.

"Slade called for everyone, not just humans" he replied with a confident smirk "My followers can help"

"I'll never turn down good help. Give me the rundown" he smiled back.

"We've set the Huntsmen and soldiers to be in the front, they're the ones with the most experience, volunteers shall form in the back as a support group. We know they're attacking soon, and my scouts have reported a large amount of Grimm to the northwest. That's where we'll be waiting for them." Ghira explained.

"Excellent work. Now, we're going to need the-" Ozpin stopped when he heard his scroll ringing, removing it from his pocket he found it to be from Sun "Mr. Wukong-" he attempted to ask.

"The school is under attack!" Sun interrupted "Grimm and White Fang have entered the building!"

"What? How... nevermind. Secure the relic!" he ordered.

"We can't, the Headmaster is dead and Cinder is already here with Watts. Slade and Pyrrha are fighting them off as we speak, and Neptune and Nora are fighting Mercury. We need help!"

"We're on it, as soon as-"

"Oz!" Qrow called urgently grabbing his attention.

"Not now! I'm-" Ozpin stopped upon noticing the army of Grimm from the northwest was in view from their position "Damn it"

"What is it?" Sun asked over the device.

"I don't think you'll be getting that help you wanted anytime soon, the Grimm army just showed up. They have a really big war machine" he sighed "Can you hold them off?"

"Slade and Pyrrha seem to be doing a pretty good job but I don't know-"

"Hold them for as long as you can, we can't send anyone until that war machine is taken out of the field" Ozpin replied.

"Do it quickly then!" Sun yelled hanging up.

"Let's go" Qrow led the group quickly regrouping with the army waiting for the Grimm slowly making their way toward them.

"What's going on, the school is being attacked and we're out here?" Yang asked concerned.

"Slade's group can handle the school for now, we need to take down the war machine before we can assist them. Once it's out of play we'll send help"

"Then let's do it fast" Ruby said readying Crescent Rose.

"What's the plan then?" Qrow asked looking to Ozpin.

"We're not waiting here for them to come to us, they've already brought the fight to us. I say let's bring the fight to them!" Ozpin yelled charging forward.

"I'm all for that plan!" Raven smirked following behind him.

"Charge!" Ghira yelled leading the Faunus forward, followed by the rest of the army yelling as they did.

Yang overtook Raven and Ozpin leaping into the army of Grimm, followed shortly by Ruby using he Semblance to cut through their ranks with ease. The rest of the army quickly caught up, Huntsmen and Huntresses easily cut through their ranks while the soldiers had slightly more difficulty.

"Come on!" Ironwood yelled "Move, move, move!" he directed the soldiers around the field.

Tyrian leapt through the Grimm killing any who stood in his way easily "Come on, give me a challenge!" he laughed dropping two more Huntsmen.

"I'll give you more than that!" Coco yelled firing her minigun forcing Tyrian to use his tail to deflect the oncoming rounds, his tail opened firing toward her forcing Coco to dodge the blast rolling out of the way.

"Come on, keep them pinned!" Raven yelled slicing her way through each Grimm toward Tyrian. Yang was currently locked in battle with Tyrian along with Jaune both barely keeping up with his attacks.

"You're much better than I remember, perhaps my interest in you wasn't unfounded" he laughed, the momentary opening he left allowed Ruby to slam into his side with her Semblance throwing Tyrian through the air. a dark portal opened in font of him with Hazel stepping out from it brushing himself off.

"Hazel!" Roman yelled in surprise.

"You didn't honestly think that tiny prison could hold me did you?" he asked with a smirk "Where's Ozpin?" he asked searching through the field.

"Nice of you to drop on by, Hazel" Tyrian stood up brushing off the sand on his clothes.

"Don't you think it's about time you stopped playing around with them?" Hazel asked.

"You're no fun" he whined "I suppose you're right, I've had my fill of fun" he removed a device from his jacket pocket pressing a few buttons on it. Suddenly the war machine's speed increased tremendously.

"Fall back! Fall back, now!" Qrow yelled.

Pyrrha leapt between the army and the war machine extending both her hands toward it as the machine sliced through the Grimm in front of it, lifting the machine into the air she forced it down splitting it apart around her killing dozens of Grimm as the pieces slid to a stop, the blades still slicing violently.

"Where's she been all this time!?" Ghira asked.

"Here I come!" Nora yelled leaping through the air slamming Magnhild into the ground impaling several Grimm with the ground spearing out around her.

"Why are all the heavy hitters hiding in the back?" Ghira asked with a laugh "I like her!"

"Guy's we've got a Slade problem here" Sun said forcing his way though the Grimm with Neptune.

"Somebody get to Slade!" Ozpin ordered "The war machine is out of play!" he said just before an Death Stalker knocked him over.

"I've got him!" Ironwood yelled rushing back toward the school.

"I'm coming too!" Jaune yelled.

"On my way-" Raven said just before Tyrian punched her in the face, knocking her onto her back rolling as she did.

"So weak, you should be ashamed of yourself-" Tyrian began Pyrrha stepped between him and Raven just as her weapon appeared in her hand.

"Well that's convenient" she stared in surprise. Tyrian flipped forward striking for Pyrrha only meeting her shield instead. Pyrrha stepped back with each strike she blocked. Neo leapt around Tyrian spinning her umbrella expertly.

Hazel and Ghira locked in battle, neither of them getting an advantage over the other.

"You're strong, for a beast" Hazel taunted.

"Enough" Ghira growled leaping over his head he used his claws to cut deep into Hazel's arms. Hazel turned striking Ghira in the chest throwing him onto his back.

"You cannot hope to defeat me, I'm invincible" he laughed.

"Oh no you're not!" Yang yelled slamming her fist into his face throwing him to the ground.

"Excellent work, Ms. Xiao Long!" Ghira laughed from his place on the ground as Hazel stood up.

"You really think a light tap like that is going to have any affect on me?" Hazel asked standing up with a small groan.

"No, not really" she shrugged "But he might" Yang pointed to Ozpin behind him. Hazel turned around facing Ozpin patiently waiting for him to notice his presence.

"Hello" Ozpin waved lightly.

"Ozpin!" Hazel screamed in anger, Ozpin slammed his hand onto his chest before he could react.

"Sorry about this" he smirked, Hazel suddenly imploded from a massive force of energy from Ozpin's hand "You've had plenty of chances already" he added walking over to Ghira extending his hand toward him.

"Thanks"

"Don't thank me yet, battle isn't over"

Tyrian's arm blades were caught in Neo's umbrella handle she flipped backward forcing them off his hands. Tyrian's tail smacked her across the face throwing her backward. Turning back to Pyrrha he began wildly striking her shield forcing her back onto her knees, punching her again she dropped onto her back with a pained groan. Raven grabbed Tyrian from behind by his tail slamming him into the ground, Tyrian quickly recovered slamming into her chest dropping her onto her back again. Tyrian's tail stabbed toward her face, Raven used her blade to move it just out of range into the ground beside her.

"Nothing is going to stop me from killing you, Branwen" he chuckled.

"I might" Pyrrha said using her Semblance to throw him upward by his tail, with her other hand she launched half of the war machine toward him, Tyrian was shredded by the blades.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Raven asked exhaustedly from her back.

Pyrrha remained silently on her back "I hate you"

* * *

Cinder launched herself forward using flames from her hands toward Slade clashing blades with him in the air. Slade twisted kicking her in the chest, throwing Cinder backward as a wall of ice formed behind her. Cinder planted her heels on the ice wall, stopping herself from falling to the ground. Slade leapt away from a bolt of lightning Cinder launched from her hands, pushing off from the wall she soared toward him as he slid to a stop. Holding his blade up he blocked her strike, their blades clashing against each other.

"You're better than I remember" Slade admitted.

"I've took your advice" she replied with a smirk.

Cinder pulled her blade back and struck again meeting his blade then twisted it down toward his legs only to be blocked once more. Swinging for his head, Slade ducked back away from the strike, planting his free hand on the ground lifting his legs up as she struck for them. Slade returned to his feet leaning back under her blade once more, she twisted kicking him in the chest throwing Slade backward.

Slade flipped through the air sliding to a stop as he landed. Two White Fang soldiers attacked from behind with their blades. Slade swung Obsidian back dropping the first one before he rose to his feet, blocking the second's strike he twisted around him slicing his blade through his back. Turning just in time to see the blade thrown at him, Slade leapt up, his body held flat under Cinder's swinging blade. Cinder slammed a powerful gust of wind into him throwing Slade through the air crashing through the large wall of ice, he landed on his stomach groaning in pain.

"Aaaahhh!" Cinder yelled forming a blade in her hand as she soared through the air toward him impaling the ground he once laid upon. Slade appeared behind Cinder spinning his weapon around readying for attack.

Slade charged forward, spiraling in the air to avoid her strike he clashed blades with her once more. Slade managed to push her blade to the ground stumbling her, he stuck for her head only for her to block the blade then lean back under a second strike as he flipped the blade in his hand, he blocked her attack holding the blade across his back. Twisting it back around his front their blades clashed again, shifting his blade forced Cinder to block holding her blade over her shoulder. Slade elbowed her in the face then swung for her chest, spinning around with his strike as Cinder backed away she turned toward him with her blade held out toward him impaling Slade through the right side of his abdomen.

"You were deceived by Ozpin" she smirked "Now, your kingdoms shall fall" she finished removing her blade from him. Slade dropped onto his knees in exhaustion. The door behind him was blown open by White Fang soldiers followed shortly by Grimm entering the room.

"Do you see how you've failed to stop anything? You're just sacrificing yourself needlessly, we've already won" Cinder laughed.

"You'd never understand sacrifice" Slade glared up at her.

"Really now?" Cinder asked "I'd think you'd know better-"

"Attack!" Ironwood yelled firing a cannon into the Grimm entering the room followed by several Atlas soldiers. They charged into the room rolling behind the nearby broken pillars for cover. One soldier threw a grenade onto the face of a Grimm as he ducked behind cover obliterating several of them. White Fang troops charged to meet them. Slade used this moment to get away, vanishing from his place by Cinder, he appeared behind a nearby pillar slumping down against it painfully.

"I've got you" Jaune said sliding beside him "I'll go as quick as I can"

"Good, Ironwood's going to need some help" Slade groaned as Jaune began healing him.

"Let's go, let's go! Move up!" Ironwood yelled running forward, stopping to fire his cannon dropping several White Fang members "Flank em!" he yelled pointing behind the Grimm charging them.

"General! How nice of you to stop by!" Cinder called "I've been expecting you-"

Ironwood turned firing his cannon three times, Cinder deflected two of them but took the final blast head on singing her face slightly, it healed immediately showing her grin. Ironwood dropped the cannon in his hands charging toward Cinder, he easily knocked the White Fang attempting to stop him out of the way. Cinder struck Ironwood with a powerful blast of lightning, he resisted taking several steps toward her through the pain. Ironwood was thrown onto his back, his soldiers being killed all around him.

"Hurry up" Slade said as his wound started to heal.

"I'm going as fast as I can" Jaune replied concerned for the General.

White Fang troops dragged Ironwood to his knees as one of them prepared to execute him. Cinder turned away from him.

"You were always weak, General"

Suddenly the White Fang holding Ironwood were thrown into the sky by a powerful blast of aura through the ground, they were cut apart as they dropped to the ground. Cinder turned in surprise to find Ruby standing across from her with Crescent Rose held horizontally in front of her.

"Ruby" Cinder growled. Three White Fang and a Beringel stood between them as Ruby charged forward.

Ruby leapt up toward the Beringel kicking the White Fang soldier in the face as Crescent Rose decapitated the Grimm. She sliced through the solider flipping forward to the remaining two, hooking one's leg with her scythe she used the hilt to deflect a blade strike from the second pulling forward she knocked the first one over only to easily slice through the two of them flipping toward Cinder.

Ruby struck for Cinder's face meeting her blade instead, she traded strikes with Cinder momentarily on the offensive. Cinder spun around backhanding Ruby. Turing with the strike, Ruby kicked Cinder's face. Ruby continued backing away from Cinder as she had taken the offensive striking violently for Ruby. Dropping onto one knee she spun her scythe around blocking a strike down for her face, Ruby struggled against her strength. Crescent Rose fired breaking what was left of a nearby pillar dropping it onto them, they both pushed back away from them to avoid the pillar.

Ruby and Cinder leapt atop the fallen pillar continuing their fight, Ruby deflected three strikes successfully. Leaping back away from a fourth strike she cartwheeled around Cinder as she struck again, jumping up over her blade as it swung around. Ruby slammed Crescent Rose down onto Salem's blade, Cinder threw her back against a wall using the air around her. Cinder leapt forward stabbing her blade into the wall as Ruby flipped over her, spinning around with a smirk she struck the center of Crescent Rose throwing it aside, stabbing her blade toward Ruby. Ruby successfully blocked the strike with her hands using her aura expertly.

"Augh!" Slade yelled charging Cinder slamming into her chest forcing her blade out of her grip, Slade lifted his head up forcefully knocking Cinder's back painfully. Slade struck for her face with his left hand then his right as she caught his arms in her own hands.

"Enough of this! I am a god you dull creature! I won't be defeated by-" Cinder stopped upon seeing Slade's smirk, he opened his right hand showing a red dust crystal in his grip. Cinder threw herself backward with a powerful gust of wind as he smashed it in his hand attempting to avoid the explosion involuntarily fanning the explosion in her direction, Slade was thrown onto his back painfully rolling to his feet.

"Not very impressive for a god" Slade taunted as Cinder struggled to stand.

"You win this time, but don't think it'll go so well next time. Salem won't be as merciful" Cinder warned using the darkness to vanish.

"You weren't merciful to begin with" Ruby sighed shaking her head. Slade dropped onto his knees exhausted, then slumped to the ground unconscious "Slade!" Ruby called again rushing to his side. Jaune joined Ruby by his side.

"Is he alright?" she asked concerned. Jaune was silent, quickly checking over him for more injuries.

"He looks like he just passed out from exhaustion" he answered, Ruby sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness"

"We still have a battle to fight" Ironwood reminded them.

"How's the fight going out there?" Jaune asked through his earpiece.

"We've won!" Yang answered "We're cleaning up the last of the Grimm, what about you? Is Slade alight?" she asked concerned.

"Slade's tired, but alright. Cinder is the only one working for Salem now, things are looking up for us" Ruby answered.

"I think it's too early to celebrate" Qrow said "We've got a problem out here"

"What kind of problem?" Ironwood asked.

"Salem" Roman replied shocking the group.

"We have to go!" Ironwood ordered rushing outside. Ruby picked up Slade carrying him to safety.

"I'll be right back, I promise" Ruby kissed him on the forehead "Don't go anywhere" she giggled at her own joke, then followed Jaune outside.


	30. Final Skirmish

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you guys all like it as much as you've liked the last one. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out by this time next week. Last chapter will be one of the next two chapters, probably not going to be any more than that. Thank you guys again for your patience and understanding.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: Final Skirmish**

Salem stood atop a rock pillar overlooking the army below her "So, you've all come here to ensure my plan fails have you?" she asked curiously "I wonder how many of you will be left by the time I'm finished"

Glynda swung her arm around launching a large amount of sand from the ground toward Salem from behind. Salem leapt from the pillar landing perfectly in front of the army smirking up at them "I suppose I shouldn't have expected to be able to harm her so easily" Glynda sighed.

"Very well then" Salem grinned "I will play with you for now" she began charging toward them, the army of Huntsmen, soldiers, and volunteers all charged forward ready to fight her.

"Wait! You cannot stand against her! She's too powerful!" Ozpin attempted to warn them.

Dozens of soldiers were thrown aside without Salem laying a hand on them as she rushed past them, she slammed her fist into a soldier in front of her throwing him backward knocking over several of his allies. Salem turned around dodging attacks and countering with her own expertly killing everyone she was coming into contact with, Velvet charged her from behind only to end up rolling violently her head planted in the sand as she came to a stop.

"Velvet!" Coco called rushing to her side.

Salem kicked one of the volunteers across the face as he attempted to back away in fear, planting her foot onto his shoulder she leapt overhead crashing down in the center of the army. Salem continued to easily dispatch her assailants, swinging one around by her hands into another's chest throwing him to the ground. Salem steadily walked through the army blocking and countering any attacks sent her way. One soldier threw a grenade toward her as a Huntsman thrust his blade toward her chest. Salem caught the grenade in her left hand while catching the Huntsman's hand holding his blade in her right hand, twisting his arm forcing his grip to loosen caused him to yell out in pain, she forced the grenade into his mouth as she twisted throwing the blade into the soldier's chest then kicking the Huntsman into the army surrounding her exploding shortly afterward killing several of his allies.

Salem laughed as the explosion tore through the sky, using the weapons of those she defeats against her assailants. Salem caught the arm of a volunteer breaking it violently underneath her arm catching the punch of another on her left with her free hand. A Huntress charged toward her noticing her opening, Salem leapt up keeping her grip on the two men slamming her leg into the Huntress's back forcing her to the ground, releasing her grip she flipped through the air over her slamming her fists into them throwing them backward as she formed a small dark blade in her hand stabbing it into her back as she landed on top of her invoking a muffled scream of pain.

Salem leapt forward grabbing a blade embedded in the ground as she did easily cutting through dozens of her assailants as she raced forward, clashing her blade with another Huntsman's she impaled him with a second blade releasing her grip on the first one, gunshots rang out from behind the impaled man. Salem forced his body between her and the bullets using him as a shield. Coco having fired her minigun stared in horror of what she just did, Salem grabbed her by the throat holding her up above her.

"How many children need to be sacrificed before you all understand the futility of your endeavor?" Salem asked genuinely curious.

"F-f-faith" Coco choked out. Salem's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Faith? What has faith ever gotten you in the past? No matter how many times you fight and succeed against me, none of it matters. I'll just keep coming back, again, and again, until I finally win"

Salem turned a moment too late as Ruby slammed into her body using her Semblance, she was thrown back over the army into the open wasteland surrounding them, Salem easily caught herself on her feet as she slid to a stop.

"No matter how many times you rise up, we'll be there to smack you back down!" Ruby yelled confidently, invoking a loud cheer from those around her.

Salem sighed shaking her head "Time to end this, then" Salem took a large intake of breath before expelling it into a massive wall of black fire large enough to obliterate the army in front of her.

"Winter!" Weiss called as they both rushed ahead of the army, placing themselves between the fire and their allies.

"I've got it!" Winter called back as they both stabbed their blades into the ground generating a massive wall of ice to block the fire. The flame was extinguished as the ice melted away creating a large smoke cloud around them, Salem leapt into the smoke cloud.

"Here she comes!" Qrow yelled.

Salem was followed by several massive dark orbs all around her "Look out!" several called out unable to avoid the orbs as they struck. Salem formed a dark blade in her hand slicing through the army once more. Suddenly as she attacked on of her assailants she mas met with a wall of sand protecting him, Salem's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You won't hurt anyone else!" Glynda yelled creating a pillar of rock rushing toward Salem.

Salem easily back handsprung away from the pillar leaping up into the air, several more pillars of rock were thrown at her by Ozpin forcing her to dodge them in the air. Salem barely managed to avoid them landing in front of Ozpin she glared.

Yang's war cry drew Salem's attention above her as Yang pulled her arm back for a powerful strike. Ozpin slammed his hand onto the ground rising the earth below Salem, forcing her up toward Yang as she struck. Salem easily caught the strike in her hand grinning, she kicked Yang in the chest throwing her backward through the air.

"Perhaps it's time I stopped playing around and got down to business" Salem chuckled as a small dark portal opened beside her revealing Cinder holding some king of gauntlet in her hand.

"What is that?" Ruby asked confused.

Salem took the gauntlet from Cinder placing it onto her left arm, suddenly the gauntlet expanded around her arm stopping just below her shoulder, there were four empty holes on the gauntlet's extended arm.

"Cinder!" Emerald yelled.

"I'll deal with you later, traitor" Cinder growled angrily causing Emerald to take a step back in fear.

"That must be the vessel she created to house the relics" Raven concluded.

"She made herself a gauntlet?" Ozpin asked surprised.

"You've brought me the vessel but not a relic, Cinder. What happened?" Salem asked surprised.

"Like with Tyrian and Hazel, Mercury and Arthur were killed during the battle. I barely managed to escape, Slade and his friends are just too powerful-" Cinder answered, being interrupted by Salem's iron grip on her throat.

"You've failed me one too many times" Salem growled.

"Please... master... have mercy" she pleaded.

"You needn't worry, Cinder. I don't plan on killing you" Salem replied absorbing the Maiden power from Cinder into herself.

"What're... you doing?" she gasped for air.

"Taking what belongs to me" she replied releasing her grip on Cinder after she finished.

"That power was mine! You promised!" Cinder yelled enraged.

"You promised to bring me the relics, you failed. I'm merely doing what's necessary to obtain what I want" she laughed.

"That power belongs to me!" Cinder roared in anger attempting to attack her, Salem backhanded her to her knees.

"You never knew how to use that power. This power is not yours to claim!" Salem yelled as she held her hand up toward the sky, her hair and robes flailing around her from the raw power emanating from her. The sky suddenly darkened over the army, they looked up in confusion quickly changing to shock.

"Oh... man" Roman sighed.

"Woah... that's way out of our league" Blake pointed out.

"What is this? This power?" Qrow asked shaking visibly. Above them sat a meteor twice the size of the army observing it quickly racing toward the earth at Salem's command.

"What do we do?" Sun asked.

"How're we supposed to do anything against that?" Nora asked in terror.

"It's far too early into the fight to think about giving up!" Ozpin yelled "Never give up without trying, always do something!" he added leaping up toward the massive meteor quickly racing down toward them.

"Everyone! Get as far away as you can!" Raven yelled causing the army to disperse.

"What's Ozpin doing up there?!" Ruby asked confused.

"He's gonna stop that meteor!" Qrow replied.

Ozpin embedded his cane into the meteor focusing all of his power into it forcing it to stop, the meteor slowed to a stop several feet over the rock pillar Salem stood atop "You haven't lost your touch, love" Salem grinned, Ozpin dropped exhaustedly from his place.

Ruby caught him in her arms bringing him down to safety "You did it, Professor. You really did it, you saved us" she smiled at him.

"I did... what... had to... be done" he gasped out as she lowered him onto his back, Ozpin sat up struggling to regain his breath.

"Just what did you think that changed?" Salem asked outstretching her hand toward the meteor "I have free control over it" she laughed as it began descending at tremendous speed.

"Shit!" Yang yelled "Ruby, we have to go!"

"There's no point" Ozpin sighed "We'd never get far enough-" the meteor suddenly vanished.

"What the hell?" Salem asked in shock "What happened to my-" she stopped midsentence twisting around barely in time to leap away from Slade's blade strike for her head "You!" she growled from her place between him and the army behind her. Suddenly the ground began shaking causing everyone to lose their footing as a powerful gust of wind blew past them.

"Don't worry!" Slade called appearing beside Ruby "It's just the meteor"

"What'd you do with it?" Ozpin asked confused.

"I transported it to an unoccupied area south of here" Slade replied "Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt now would we?"

"You've become far more proficient with your Semblance than I expected, and your recovery has increased greatly since we last fought" Salem pointed out impressed "I see now why Cinder was unable to kill you"

"Cinder wasn't able to kill me because I have friends, friends who would do anything to help me. Just as I would do anything to help them. Fighting to protect those you love grants power far beyond that of the relics and your own twistedness" Slade replied.

"Interesting..." Salem grinned "You truly believe your "Power" can stand up to the relics?" she laughed.

"Slade, I don't understand. How have you recovered already?" Ruby asked confused.

"I'm not sure, I expended far too much energy in my fight against Cinder earlier... but somehow I seemed to recover faster once I fell unconscious" he answered with a shrug.

"Summer" Salem growled "She's up to her old tricks again... I suppose I should've known she wouldn't give up so easily, even if she cannot directly defy me any longer"

"Summer is the reason you recovered so fast?" Tai asked, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Enough, I hold the power of the maidens... none of you can withstand my power" Salem interjected vanishing.

Ruby was suddenly violently thrown aside crashing into on of the nearby rock pillars "Ruby!" Slade and Yang called concerned. Qrow prepared his weapon stepping between Ozpin and Salem as she slid to a stop in front of him. Salem flipped forward over his blade, kicking him in the chest, throwing Qrow onto his back behind Ozpin. Catching Ozpin's throat in her hand she smiled wickedly.

"Time to take it all from you"

Slade appeared beside her slicing his blade for Salem's throat, forcing her to leap away to safety. Using his Semblance to keep pace with Salem, he swung his blade violently as she easily evaded his assault, eventually leaping up into the air. Salem twirled over his head landing between Qrow and Ruby as they both returned to their feet.

 _There!_

Slade appeared behind her, thrusting Obsidian toward her spine. Salem twisted around allowing the blade to impale her right arm catching the blade in her hands stopping Slade in his tracks.

"You're going to have to do better than that" Salem smirked as Ruby and Qrow both charged her. Salem expelled a cloud of powder from her mouth, Qrow and Ruby's weapons clashed as she vanished. The spark from the clash ignited the cloud causing it to explode, Slade appeared a short distance away with Qrow and Ruby at his sides, surprised they were out of the explosive cloud. Salem leapt toward Ozpin once more making an attempt to absorb his power.

"There!" Nora yelled as she soared toward them.

"Ren!" Jaune yelled signaling him.

"Right" Ren nodded in understanding, using Storm Flower he fired several rounds toward Salem; she held her arms out in front of her defensively, allowing the bullets to embed themselves in her body.

"Nothing you do to me now matters, you cannot kill me" she grinned.

"Now, Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled as she outstretched her hand toward Salem using her Semblance to immobilize her with Ren's bullets.

"Impossible" Salem groaned out as she continued to soar toward them motionless.

Nora leapt up to meet Salem, slamming Magnhild into her chest firing it. Salem was thrown backward with tremendous force into Yang's fist as she fired Ember Celica into her face. Salem was launched into Weiss and Blake's blades, throwing her up into the sky. Qrow and Raven leapt upward slamming their weapons into her throwing Salem down into the ground forcefully, only for Jaune to smash his claymore into her chest bringing her up over his shoulder and slamming her into the ground.

"Excellent teamwork, students" Ozpin smiled to himself.

Salem managed to launch the bullets from her body outward allowing her to move once more "You've proven yourselves able to keep up with me...I must say I am thoroughly impressed by your strength. Perhaps there is more to you all than I had originally thought-" she began as Ruby appeared beside her with help from Slade's Semblance "What!?" Salem yelled just as Ruby smashed Crescent Rose into her arm crashing Salem into the ground once more, producing a massive dust cloud around them.

Salem leapt from the dust cloud, sliding to a stop beside Cinder missing her right arm "I've had enough of this" she growled.

"Not so easy, is it?" Cinder asked mockingly.

Salem's expression became suspiciously sweet suddenly "You're right, they are far too strong for their age" suddenly Salem sliced her hand through Cinder's right arm, severing it from her body and quickly slamming it into the stump left behind on her own arm causing Cinder to scream and thrash around in agony. Cinder's arm fused with Salem's quickly changing to it's pale complexion and forming it's own black markings across it "Much better" she grinned.

"Cinder!" Emerald yelled with concern, she remained in her place, too afraid to challenge Salem.

"You monster!" Yang yelled angrily.

"I'm crushed" Salem mocked, a dark portal opened beside her revealing a second Salem holding a large blade in hand with a red orb in the pommel "Ah, you've finally arrived" she smiled.

"She copied herself?" Ozpin asked surprised "When did she-"

"Back when Slade was saving Ruby and I from the explosive cloud. That's the only time she was out of our view after she gained the maiden powers" Qrow sighed.

"What makes you think she didn't do it before she got those powers from Cinder?" Sun asked curiously.

"Because she has the relic from Shade Academy" Ozpin noted watching as Salem smashed the blade apart holding the red orb in hand.

"Finally, I now hold three of the relics" Salem grinned.

"Three?" Weiss asked confused.

"Yes, three" Salem replied showing off the blue and green orbs in her hand.

"Those were the relics from Atlas and Haven!" Blake pointed out.

"How did you get those? Slade placed them somewhere you'd never find?" Ruby asked surprised.

"My copy here used the relic of destruction to obliterate the barrier between our realm and the realm Slade's Semblance holds dominion over. Once I had the relics in hand I used the relic of creation to rebuild that barrier for safety reasons" Salem explained as her copy fused with herself once more "Now I hold all the power here" Salem grinned placing destruction into an empty slot on her gauntlet shortly followed by creation and knowledge, with every relic Salem appeared to struggle to keep control over the power she commanded.

"What do we do now?" Emerald asked concerned.

"We fight" Yang replied as Slade appeared above Salem once more. Suddenly he was frozen in the air in front of her as Obsidian embedded itself into the earth between them.

"Nice try... but I'm no longer bound by your physical constraints. I am a god" Salem grinned looking up at him as she removed his blade from the ground.

"Slade!" Ruby yelled using her Semblance to rush forward toward them.

"I gave you plenty of opportunity to join us, Slade. Plenty of time to give yourself over to me for my final vessel... too bad you refused to take the opportunity I presented you while you had the chance" Salem finished impaling him with his own weapon through his heart "How unfortunate for Ms. Rose to see you die like this"

Ruby stopped in her tracks once his blade pierced his chest "No..." she gasped horrified. Slade coughed painfully choking on his own blood as it emerged from his lips "Slade!" she yelled running forward worriedly.

"You don't hold any power here" Salem grinned throwing Ruby backward.

"Ruby..." Slade choked once more "I'm... sorry" he slumped dropping to the ground on his knees, then falling onto his back.

"Perhaps now you'll all realize the futility of your fight, you can all avoid this... all you need to do is surrender the relic of choice. You have it with you... don't you, Ozpin?" Salem asked knowingly.

"I'll never give it to you, nothing we do will matter if you get your hands on it" Ozpin replied with a slight growl.

"Come now, love. You can still save Slade if you hurry, but I won't be allowing you anywhere near him if you don't cooperate. I have no desire to destroy humanity, it's unnecessary" she explained.

"Lying won't help you" Weiss called to her "Slade wouldn't want us to give up just because he can't help us anymore"

"I admit, your strength when working together is formidable... however, I only had access to half of my own strength at the time. Now I am at full power and wield three of the relics, you cannot hope to stand against me"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" Yang shrugged.

"The only thing this venture will gain you is a painful death" Salem growled "Look to Slade if you don't believe me, he himself is unable to withstand my power" she continued gesturing over toward him as he struggled to his knees "You cannot withstand the will of a god"

"I think you'll find our will is equal to yours" Ozpin warned holding his cane out threateningly toward her.

"Is that right?" Salem smirked, a shadow cast over her drawing her attention upward finding a fragment of the meteor she summoned earlier quickly descending toward her through a small portal opened behind it "Slade" she managed to chuckle out before it smashed into her.

"Nice one!" Yang cheered.

Salem obliterated the fragment around her stopping the shards in the air as she waved her hands together with a malicious grin "You should've just stayed down, Slade" she laughed as the shards around her transformed into miniature Lancer Grimm, they proceeded to chase after an injured Slade as he used his Semblance to move away from them. Sun smacked a banana peel over Salem's eyes causing her to lose focus, stumbling backward as Blake slid behind her slicing her legs with Gambol Shroud.

Raven's Semblance opened a portal beside the struggling Salem with Ozpin stepping out of it striking his cane for her head. Salem caught his cane in her right hand growling as she tore the peel from her face angrily, she punched him in the chest throwing Ozpin backward. Weiss leapt forward using her glyphs to quickly make her way toward Salem, flipping over her back she attached a small explosive to her shoulder "Whoops" she shrugged casually stepping back into Raven's portal before it closed.

"Over here!" Yang yelled appearing through one of Raven's portals punching Salem across the face "No, stupid! Over here!" she called entering another portal then exiting behind Salem, flipping over her head she grabbed her by the head using it as leverage to slam her boots into Salem's chest pushing backward through another portal "Come on, I'm right here-!" Yang yelled appearing from her left only to meet Salem's hand around her throat slamming her into the ground roaring with rage "Enough games! You are all nothing compared to me!" she yelled throwing her up into the air. The explosive on her back detonated before she was able to harm Yang staggering her, the flames engulfing her suddenly were sucked into the palm of her hand before she launched it in a steady stream of fire at Yang launching her into the ground.

Ozpin used his magic to create white ethereal cords wrapping around Salem's gauntlet attempting to wrest it from her possession, Weiss encased her legs in ice stopping her from running away as Blake used Gambol Shroud to wrap around her throat from behind pulling on it with help from Sun to pull Salem to her knees. Yang and Ruby both grabbed her free arm keeping her from attacking any of them as Emerald leapt forward grabbing her head between her hands attempting to use her Semblance of Salem.

"Now!" Raven yelled stabbing her blade into Salem's chest to keep her from resisting as she began to calm down, blissfully falling asleep.

"Quick, get that thing off before she regains control!" Summer yelled suddenly gaining control of her body.

"Summer?" Tai asked approaching "Is that you?"

"Yes, Tai, darling. I need you to help them get Salem's gauntlet off of her, without it she won't be able to win-augh!" she yelled in pain suddenly returning to Salem.

"Summer? Summer, come back to me please!" Tai yelled desperately.

"I... am... Salem... there is... no Summer... anymore" her voice struggled out as her eyes changed from Salem's to Summers repeatedly.

"Bring Summer back right now! Let her go!"

"I can't" Salem replied with a low growl "I killed her"

"No... that's not true I just heard her-"

"An echo... of what once was"

"Why? Why did you kill her?"

"I... I had to" Salem replied as the gauntlet budged slightly down her arm.

"This thing is tough, it's like it's fused to her skin" Qrow groaned struggling to remove it.

"Let me help" Pyrrha suggested using her Semblance to help remove it, the gauntlet began to come off slowly.

"No... no you didn't, you didn't have to do that" Tai replied his expression turning stern as a stray tear descended from his eye.

"Tai, Tai, I need you to stay calm for another minute" Qrow pleaded "Just one minute, Tai"

"Summer deserved better than you" Tai replied ignoring Qrow.

"Tai, we've almost got this off already!" Raven yelled desperately as she and Qrow pulled with all of their strength to remove the gauntlet.

"You crazy bitch!" Tai began punching her in the face in blind rage "You didn't have to kill Summer!"

"Dad, stop!" Ruby yelled as Yang grabbed him from behind.

"Dad, calm down! This isn't helping anyone!" Yang pleaded.

"I'm losing control!" Emerald yelled just before Salem head-butted her onto her back, then throwing Ruby aside with her free hand.

"I've got it!" Pyrrha said as she removed the gauntlet, Salem gripped the edge of the gauntlet slamming her fist into Pyrrha's face, throwing her backward violently as she reattached the gauntlet to her arm.

"No!" Ozpin yelled in fear.

Salem grabbed the cord around her throat and used it to launch Blake and Sun overhead as she broke free of the ice holding her in place. Nora, Ren, and Jaune prepared to attack only to be thrown by tremendous force onto their backs by Salem's flick of her wrist. Salem turned to her only standing enemy, Ozpin as he stood between her and his friends defensively.

"There's nothing more you can do to stop me" Salem laughed "Your only chance failed you because I tricked him into believing Summer was still here somewhere. She's been gone ever since your daring rescue of Slade back in Atlas"

"Your manipulations are the reason everyone stands against you now" Ozpin replied unamused "I will die before I let you harm them anymore"

"So be it" she grinned launching a powerful blast of darkness toward him. Ozpin held his can out toward the blast blocking it with what appeared to be a glass wall, the shattering glass reformed into blades he launched toward her. Salem created a miniature black hole in the center of the barrage of blades absorbing them into it's pull and barreling toward Ozpin. Stabbing his cane into the black hole transformed it into a flock of doves all flying away quickly from the ensuing battle. Ozpin's magic allowed him to strike Salem in the chest astoundingly fast with his cane before she could react, Salem countered by grabbing him by the throat.

"You've faced me this entire time without using the most powerful weapon at your disposal" Salem produced the relic of choice in her free hand holding an axe with a yellow orb in the base of the hilt "This..." she smashed it against the ground producing the orb into her hand before easily crushing it in her grasp "Cheap imitation" she chuckled throwing Ozpin against a nearby stone pillar. Qrow stood between the injured Ozpin and Salem with Harbinger in hand.

"Qrow Branwen" she mused aloud.

"So you have heard of me" he smirked.

"I have... you're not the only one Ozpin has cursed" she replied as he leapt forward swiftly transforming his blade into scythe form slamming it into her chest stumbling Salem backward a single step. Salem pulled her arms back to strike only for his scythe to strike her again, throwing her through a stone pillar behind her. Salem unleashed a large blast of darkness toward him, Qrow slammed Harbinger one again in blade form down into the earth in front of him sliding back slightly as the blast dissipated. Qrow fired his weapon launching himself toward Salem kicking her across the face her embedded Harbinger into the ground as he kicked swinging it up into her face cutting it deeply.

Salem laughed arrogantly "All that damage, and you haven't even caused me to bleed yet" she felt a small amount of blood slide down her cheek.

"Guess again" Qrow smirked.

Salem roared in anger pulling her fist back to strike meeting Harbinger with her fist instead dropping him onto his back. Salem began to profusely beat Qrow into the ground as he struggled to defend himself, using his aura he threw Salem off of him then fired Harbinger having the bullet deflect back into his face causing him to groan in pain. Salem backhanded Qrow as he twisted Harbinger in his hand ready to impale her upon the blade, he thrust forward only for Salem to break to blade in half in her hand, twisting the remains of it back toward Qrow. Thrusting her hand forward, she was surprised to find Raven standing between them with Qrow being thrown to the ground, his blade piercing her chest.

"Raven" Qrow gasped in shock as she dropped to her knees.

"I kept telling you this was a losing battle, Qrow. I just never pictured myself being the one losing" she replied looking back at him. Salem pushed Raven off the blade onto he back slumping against a nearby stone pillar.

"You surprise me, Raven. I never expected you to actually sacrifice yourself for someone, let alone your own brother... I suppose everyone has people they care about"

"You wouldn't know about that would you?" Raven smirked mockingly.

"I respect what you're trying to do here, but it's not enough. I promise you, I will make your brother and daughter die painfully because of your defiance" Salem held her hand out toward Raven ready to kill Raven.

"Wait!" Ozpin called "Spare them and I will give you the relic" he pleaded. Salem stared at him in shock, but nonetheless agreed.

"No games, Ozpin, or they all die"

"No tricks" Ozpin agreed producing the final relic in his hand. Salem took the relic from his hand placing it into her gauntlet grinning madly.

"Finally, I have achieved my goal" she sighed in relief "It's been far too long since I've been able to feel anything more than anger and hatred... now I'm free" she laughed.

"You've finally done it" Cinder's voice called from behind her.

"Indeed, I only needed the Maidens power to obtain the relics, therefore I required your assistance. That is no longer the case"

"You don't intend to allow me to live do you?" Cinder asked knowingly.

"I will allow you to live on one condition" Cinder remained silent awaiting for her to continue "Bow" she ordered.

"I will never bow before you, Salem. You'll just kill me anyway" Cinder growled forming a fire blade in her remaining hand leaping toward Salem.

"So be it" Salem struck her with a powerful bolt of black lightning, throwing Cinder's corpse to the ground violently.

"Cinder!" Emerald called rushing to her side.

"I warned her the price of betrayal... speaking of which" she glared at Emerald "I don't believe you've paid the price" she launched another bolt only for it to be caught in Slade's hands using his aura and redirected back at Salem throwing her backward violently.

"Slade?" Emerald asked shocked.

"Good thing I got here in time" he winked back at her "Almost didn't catch that"

"Why... why would you save me?" she asked not understanding.

"The same reason he saved me" Roman replied exhaustedly from behind her "Slade cares about people too much... I used to think that was a weakness. Ironically it's the only reason we've come this far" he added with a small smile as he looked back at a disheveled Neo.

"What about Raven? She was injured-"

"Jaune is attending to her wound as we speak, he's the only reason I'm still standing right now" Slade chuckled "It's time to end this"

"I agree" Salem called appearing in front of them with her hand around Ruby's throat.

"Ruby!" Yang called arriving with the rest of their uninjured friends.

"I think it's about time I took you two out of the equation" Salem added opening a portal behind her, she walked backward into it as Ruby struggled against her grip "Face me alone, or she dies" she taunted laughing as she vanished, the portal remaining open.

"You cannot take her on your own, Slade. She'll kill you-" Weiss explained.

"I know, but she'll kill Ruby if I don't go in alone"

"Don't listen to her, it's a trick!" Blake pleaded.

"Slade's not going to change his mind" Yang smirked with a shake of her head "I wasn't able to stop him back during the attack on Beacon, what makes you think anything has changed?" she asked the group "Ruby is in danger and he's the only one fast enough to get her out of it, I trust him to get Ruby back safely... you should too"

"I don't think I'll be coming back through that portal" Slade sighed "But I refuse to leave Ruby to whatever fate awaits her at Salem's mercy"

"Then go, we'll be fine back here" Roman replied.

"Go get our girl back!" Nora smacked him on the back encouragingly.

"If anyone can do it, it'll be you" Ren agreed.

"I've seen you in action enough times to know nothing is going to stop you from beating Salem and keeping Ruby safe, relics or not" Pyrrha supported.

"You've got this, kid. If there's anything we can do, don't hesitate" Qrow offered as Neo gave an enthusiastic thumbs up toward him grinning widely.

"Thank you... all of you. Without your help I never would've had a chance of accomplishing what I have"

"Yes you would've, just not as stylishly" Weiss joked, earning a laugh from the group.

"Nice one, Ice Queen" Roman chuckled earning a playful glare.

"Well... here goes nothing" Slade stepped forward approaching the portal, as he came face to face with it, Slade turned back toward his friends smiling contently as a small tear descended from his eye "Thank you" he whispered before turning back to the portal entering fearlessly.

* * *

Slade was greeted with a dark room with Salem sitting upon a throne with Ruby standing beside her.

"You decided to come after all... how bold... and foolish" she grinned standing from her throne "Well I suppose I should see myself out then" she vanished without another word.

"What the..." Slade shook his confusion rushing toward Ruby's side "Ruby are you alright? Are you hurt-augh!" Slade was thrown onto his back at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the throne.

"Finish this, Ruby. I command it" Salem's voice spoke through Ruby, she dropped onto her knees in pain "What... what was that? I felt... Salem" Ruby shuddered in fear.

"Fight against it, Ruby! Remember who you are, you can win this!" Slade encouraged getting to his feet.

"I can feel her in my thoughts... I don't know if I can"

"You have to" Slade replied "I can't lose you too-" Ruby struck at Slade with Crescent Rose clashing with Obsidian, she kicked him in the chest flipping backward up the stairs spinning around as she twirled Crescent Rose expertly in her hands, slamming it down into the ground.

"You cannot win, Salem. Ruby's too strong for that, all of your followers are dead or deserted you"

"Disappointing, they were all useful in their own way" Salem's voice replied as Ruby's body shifted to Salem's complexion and eye color along with black markings embroidering her skin "This child must learn her place, as will you"

"Leave Ruby alone! If you want a fight, face me in person you coward!"

"That is highly unnecessary, I see realities in you... realities I will not allow to pass. Your future ends here, with hers" Salem continued aiming Crescent Rose toward him.

"If this is how it has to be... so be it" Slade's eyes filled with tears as he prepared to defend himself.

"Allow yourself to die!" Salem screamed launching herself forward.

* * *

 **I know I left you with a cliffy again, sorry. I promise to have the next chapter out as soon as it's done, I'm not being overworked this week so it shouldn't be too difficult to have it done soon. Thanks for reading!**


	31. Ruby Rose

**Hey guys, sorry about the delay! Hope you guys like it, thank you guys for reading**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty: Ruby Rose**

Salem appeared on the battlefield with a grin on her face "Hello again, you didn't think you'd gotten rid of me so easily did you?" she chuckled.

"I'll admit, I was hoping Slade and Ruby would be the ones returning to us" Qrow replied cautiously holding Harbinger posed for defense.

"I don't think you'll be seeing either of them again. They're much too busy killing each other" she explained folding her hands together behind her back confidently.

"What have you done to them? What do you mean killing each other?" Ozpin asked concerned.

"Quite some time ago, I placed a part of myself inside of Ruby in order to remove Slade from the board if it came down to it. Unfortunately, Slade has decided to continually rail against me, even when anyone else would've given up"

"That's because he knows what's important" Yang growled "The only thing you care about is yourself, that's why you'll never win" she added.

"Not this drivel again" Salem sighed "I grow tired of hearing your ignorant rants on friendship and strength. None of you know anything about true power, Slade is the only one here with the potential to match my strength one day. Unfortunately for you, I won't allow him to nurture that potential, I hold the four relics in my grasp now... there's nothing any of you can do to match me now" she explained in a bored tone.

"Slade and Ruby won't let you win, they're stronger than that" Weiss offered confidently, emboldening those around her.

"Perhaps they'll try, but nothing either of them do now will matter anyway"

* * *

Slade was thrown into the air from the force of Salem's strike clashing with his blade, flipping through the air her landed atop a small building overlooking the barren wasteland around them.

 _The entire landscape seems to fold to her will, this must be her domain... something about this place feels so wrong_

Slade's thoughts were interrupted by Salem appearing before him and striking downward with tremendous strength, he narrowly managed to avoid the attack as it impacted the roof of the building they stood upon, cracking the surface.

"Why do you keep fighting? Haven't you realized by now that it's hopeless to stand against me?" she asked "Why keep railing against me when you have no hope of succeeding?" she asked confused.

"I could ask you the same thing, Salem. I have proven time and again that your power is nothing but an empty shell when compared to the strength I posses, strength that comes from something deeper than hatred and rage" Slade explained.

"You and your friends are all the same, always spouting the same nonsense Ozpin did when he first created me"

"Why don't you tell me what it is you want, Salem? Aside from immortality, I mean. Seams to me, you've already accomplished your goal... why keep fighting us when all you want is to live forever? Why kill so many innocents?"

"What I want... is to plunge this world into darkness, just like the land you see around you. I want to know experience everything there is to experience in the world, I want to attain all knowledge and abilities in existence along with what's yet to be discovered, I will absorb all life on this world into myself to attain my immortality without the necessity of hoping from vessel to vessel in order to survive. Once I have finished with this world, I will move on to the next world. Find another like ours with life and civilization, then I shall repeat the process all over again" Salem explained wistfully.

"You... you're not just a monster or an abomination, Salem. You're the embodiment of darkness itself" Slade shuddered at the thought of her ambitions.

"Yet you still stand against me" Salem laughed "I'll never understand your recklessness" she added raising her hand to the sky, creating a massive tornado around them "What more do I need to do to show prove to you the impossibility of your victory?" she asked curiously.

"You'll have to start by killing me" he answered with conviction.

"Confident until the end" she smiled "Good"

"Fight against her control, Ruby. Remember your friends, your family, remember yourself!" Slade pleaded.

"Your feeble attempt to goad her into freeing herself are pointless, it's not that she doesn't wish to be free, it's that she isn't strong enough to be free" Salem laughed charging Slade once more.

Slade leapt back into the air to avoid her scythe, Ruby's Semblance transported her upward toward Slade at incredible speed. Using his own Semblance, Slade appeared behind Salem as she soared into the air spinning his blade as he turned to strike her in the back. Salem spun her scythe backward behind her deflecting the strike and pushing Slade back toward the ground as he quickly descended. Looking up toward Salem's previous position, he found her missing; looking around in confusion, he was barely able to detect her attack from his left side. Blocking the strike with Obsidian once more he was thrown by the force of the attack through the outer wall of Salem's fortress. Salem appeared before him racing toward Slade with such ferocity, he was struggling to match her strikes. Fortunately he managed to succeed thanks to his blade mastery as she obliterated walls and pillars around them, causing much of the surrounding structure to collapse around them. Clashing with his blade once more, Salem smirked.

"Where did you find this strength I wonder? I'm surprised you're able to keep up with me in such a young vessel" she laughed.

"You're not as tough as you delude yourself into believing" he replied pushing her back through the exposed roof, following shortly afterward. Searching for Salem once more he noticed fragment of the castle tower descending toward him, having been sliced off the original structure. Slade used his Semblance to avoid the impact of the tower fragment.

Salem sliced for Slade's back only to meet his blade from behind once more, Slade twisted around easily blocking her strikes. Flipping forward through the air, he unleashed a powerful torrent of aura from the edge of his blade shattering the ground beneath them as she vanished. Another fragment of the fortress was severed from the structure allowing Salem to throw it toward Slade using the air surrounding them. Slade leapt away through the air toward another section of the fortress wall. Salem easily followed, skidding to a stop on the wall in front of Slade as he embedded his blade into the ground to stop his approach. Salem struck for his throat only meeting his gauntlet as he removed Obsidian from the ground, twisting with her strike, Slade held his blade behind his back, effectively blocking the strike from Crescent Rose.

Salem pushed herself away from him, launching herself upward to the top of the fortress tower "You know, I just thought of a perfect gift to you for all your feeble attempts at stopping me" she laughed slicing another fragment from the tower as she soared to it's peak. Slade sliced through the fragment with his own weapon easily, once again clashing blades with her as they both soared through the air "Despair, pain, agony" she listed off blocking his strikes. Slade was thrown downward by her final attack, embedding Obsidian into the tower, he planted his boots onto the side of the handle allowing him to stand defiantly of Salem as she reached the top.

"I want you on your knees, I want you to beg for mercy" Salem laughed collapsing the tower beneath her.

Slade removed his blade from the tower as it crumbled, leaping up toward Salem once more. Slade sliced apart the fragments of the tower descending toward him as he ascended, Salem appeared behind him as he sliced another fragment apart. Slade managed to block her strike as the fragment she stood upon crumbled beneath her, they continued to clash against each other as they effortlessly leapt from one fragment to another, all of them crumbling beneath them. Slade stopped on a fragment using his aura to leash himself to it, looking up he found Salem beneath him on a separate fragment as he descended toward her. They both clashed their respective weapons above their heads, expertly spinning them as they exchanged strikes.

Finally Slade used his Semblance to escape the debris with Salem not far behind him. Salem ferociously struck for Slade as he struggled to deflect her attacks, backing away with each strike. Salem kneed Slade in the face, throwing him through a nearby wall onto the opposite side. Slade found himself impaled once more on the edge of Crescent Rose.

"Not again" he coughed painfully "I just recovered from this kind of wound twice today, you know" he sighed in a bored tone.

"I'm sure a third time won't kill you then... or perhaps it will" she chuckled "It's all the same to me"

Salem threw Slade into the air using Ruby's Semblance to cut him all over his body before throwing him back into the castle ground "Is this the pain you remember, Slade? The pain you felt when your parents were killed... the helplessness you felt when you heard your mothers anguished screams for help" she continued.

Slade suddenly appeared in front of Salem using his Semblance to strike her with such blinding speed she was unable to keep up with his assault "I pity you, Salem. You just don't understand" he taunted as he masterfully used his Semblance to his advantage, throwing Salem into the ground painfully "Perhaps this time, you'll learn to stay dead" Slade offered hopefully.

"You cannot kill me. Kill this body, and you'll kill your precious Ruby" she reminded him.

"I've already weakened you enough as it is" Slade smirked "I don't have to kill you, if you cannot fight back-" Slade was suddenly thrown onto his back as Salem leapt away from him.

"Enough of these games... I will kill you, Slade, even if this vessel must die with you" Salem began levitating into the air above him, a dark aura emanating off her "This is where you'll meet your end, child" she laughed.

"No... I won't kill for you" Ruby's voice broke through.

"Stop!" Salem's voice bellowed "Learn your place!"

"Fight her, Ruby! Push her out for good! It's still early enough for you to stop her from taking your body for her own" Slade implored hopefully.

"I know... thank you, Slade" she smiled "The darkness holds no power over me!" she yelled ripping through Salem's control "I am a Huntress, and I'll never give up on my friends, no matter what!" she continued her eyes emanating white flames before exploding outward as a blinding light.

"NO!" Salem's voice roared in anger as her will evaporated from Ruby's body. Ruby dropped onto her knees weakly slumping onto her back.

"Ruby!" Slade called rushing to her side, she coughed lightly.

"I'm alright, Slade. Just tired" she assured him.

"Thank goodness, I was worried I'd lost you" he sighed in relief.

"You should know by now, nothing can keep Team RWBY out for long!" she cheered happily with a bright smile. Slade laughed shaking his head lightly.

"Nothing keeps you down for long, I'll admit that all right" he smiled brightly down at her as she began inspecting him with her eyes.

"You have a hole in your chest" she pointed out.

"I know-"

"Again"

"I know, Ruby-"

"Third time today-"

"Ruby-"

"You really should be more careful"

"Ruby-"

"You can only get stabbed so many times before you-"

"Ruby!"

"Yes?" she asked innocently looking up at him.

"I get it" he laughed "I have bruises on top of bruises right now, I would really like to find a way out of here and stop the real Salem. You know, the one with all the relics"

"You're probably right, we should get going" Ruby agreed accepting his hand helping her up "So... which way would out be?" she asked innocently, Slade groaned in annoyance.

"I was hoping you knew" he sighed helping Ruby to her feet, slinging her arm over his shoulder as they began walking "Let's see if we can find one"

"Can't you just use your Semblance?" Ruby asked confused.

"I tried that already, nothing happens and my aura feels like it's pulling me in this direction every time I attempt it"

"That's why we're going this way" Ruby concluded.

"That's the idea"

There was a silence hanging over them as they walked, both of them unsure of what's to come. Ruby was the one to finally break the silence, voicing their shared concerns.

"Do you really think we have a chance of stopping Salem now?" Ruby asked nervously.

"I think we won't have a chance unless we try" he answered masking his fear with confidence as he smiled at her.

"You don't always have to put on a brave face for me, Slade. I'm not Jaune or Weiss, I don't need you to sugarcoat things for me... especially since I know you're scared too" she explained.

"I know" he sighed "Honestly I have no idea if we can beat her now with all the relics, she was difficult enough before she gained all her new power"

"But?"

"I'm not planning on giving up because of it" he smirked back at her "I'd rather die fighting her to my last breath than wait around for her to decide when I should stop living" Slade explained.

"Glad to hear it, I know the others and I all agree"

"Hopefully we get there before anyone is hurt too bad-" Slade cut his statement short when they came across a massive black tree, it's leaves had fallen long ago but was covered in what appeared to be fireflies.

"What is this?" Ruby asked as she took her arm off his shoulder.

"I'm... not sure" Slade answered walking to the other side of the tree he found a small pond of blood staring back at him, a reflection of a large black door with shapes of people that appeared to be begging and crying embroidered on it "There's something in the water, but it's not actually there?" Slade asked confused as Ruby joined him by his side.

Looking into the water she shared in his confusion "What is that supposed to be?"

"I have no idea" he answered turning back to the tree, holding his hand out as a few fireflies inspected him, they perched themselves on his hand. Slade carefully shook them off, trying not to harm them. Suddenly all the fireflies covering the tree swarmed into the air around it all of them screeching loudly, causing Slade and Ruby to drop onto their knees covering their ears.

"What did you do?!" Ruby yelled confused.

"I'm not sure!" he called back.

The door reflection in the pond formed a maelstrom as dark specters raced out from the doorway, the fireflies all swarmed toward the maelstrom igniting the torches as they passed by as the screeching stopped, they all dived down the center of the maelstrom. Slade stood removing his hands from his ears, he carefully walked toward the forming maelstrom as the specters raced past him pushing him back slightly with each one.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked concerned as he watched the fireflies one by one plunging down the center of the maelstrom.

"I think that's our way out"

"Are you insane?! We'll be torn apart if we go in there!" she yelled frantically.

"The door we saw reflecting on the water, I finally know what it is" he replied calmly.

"What is it?"

"The door to darkness... this is how Summer entered this realm to fight Salem years ago" he answered.

"Then... this is our only way out?" she asked nervously.

Slade took her hand in his squeezing it reassuringly "Don't worry, Ruby. Everything is gonna be alright, just keep your mind on Yang and Qrow, the friends we have that need our help. Don't focus on anything else" Slade explained.

"Ok, I trust you-" Slade interrupted her by pulling her with him over the side into the center of the maelstrom, Ruby was too scared to even scream, she focused on what he told her forcing her eyes shut determined not to be afraid.

* * *

Salem stared at the defeated Huntsmen surrounding her "I warned you, victory against me is impossible while I hold this much power" she laughed.

"It's... not... over... yet" Ozpin struggled to stand.

"Come now, Ozpin. You and I both know, there's nothing you can do to me now" she mocked confidently.

"I know" he replied regaining his breath "But what kind of man would I be if I gave up now, after we've come so far?" he asked.

"You'd be alive is what you'd be" she answered with a smirk. Suddenly her confident demeanor dropped "Those stupid kids" she sighed.

"Excuse me?" Ozpin asked confused.

Suddenly a small red maelstrom appeared from the sky descending quickly between them then vanishing without a trace, leaving Slade and Ruby in it's place.

"Ruby!" Yang called from her back struggling to stand up.

"Yang!" Ruby called back rushing to her side.

"You two just never give up do you?" Salem asked "Why couldn't you just have stayed put" she shook her head in disappointment, Ozpin dropped onto his knees exhaustedly.

"Professor!" Slade caught him using his Semblance to appear beside him.

"Thank goodness you're both here" Ozpin sighed in relief "None of us can keep fighting, she's far too strong" he explained.

"We can still beat her" Slade replied confidently.

"I agree, but you and Ruby will have to do it without any of our help, we're simply too weak to help right now" he gestured around them to their friends all unconscious or unable to move from exhaustion.

"We understand" Ruby said standing back up straight "We can do this ourselves" she smiled over to Slade as he placed Ozpin on the ground.

"You both think you can take me on your own?" Salem asked confused, she started howling with laughter "That's hysterical! You're both as delusional as he is" she continued to laugh.

"We'll take our chances" Slade replied crossing his arms with a bored tone.

Salem's laughter instantly died off at his words "You really won't back down then?" she asked already knowing the answer "So be it"

Slade appeared behind Salem with his blade in hand, Salem twisted around with a dark blade forming in her hand she forced Obsidian away from her with the blade, then kicked Slade in the face throwing him through the air. Obsidian spiraled through the air until Ruby caught it in her free hand "Slade!" she yelled throwing it back toward him as Salem launched herself at Slade, two dark blades primed to attack.

Slade caught the blade as he flew through the air as Salem caught up with him, he arced his blade upward blocking the first strike. Salem was forced to use her second blade to block Ruby's strike instead of attacking Slade. Twisting through the air, Salem twirled her blades forcing Slade and Ruby to duck under them and push off her chest to get away from them.

"Be gone!" Salem yelled encasing Slade in an orb of black lightning extending from her own hands. Ruby leapt up to strike Salem only to receive a kick to her abdomen throwing her backward, Ruby managed to catch herself on Crescent Rose twisting around she launched herself back at Salem. Ruby swung to Salem's left side forcing her to release her right hand from the orb to avoid it. Ruby used this opportunity to clasp her hand in Salem's right hand stopping the lightning from reaching Slade allowing him to safely drop to the ground. Using her aura to protect her against the lightning, Ruby swung Crescent Rose striking Salem in the face and chest before firing into Salem's abdomen throwing them both away from each other. Slade appeared behind Salem striking her several times with Obsidian before she managed to vanish, appearing a few yards away from them.

"You're both quite powerful together" Salem smirked as her wounds healed themselves instantaneously "But you'll have to do better than that" she warned as she created a dome of dark blades surrounding Slade and Ruby "What will you do now?" she asked curiously.

"Back to back!" Slade yelled as he pressed his back up against Ruby's, Salem launched the dark blades toward them. Slade and Ruby became a blur as they deflected each dark blade with their own weapons at such tremendous speed that not even Salem could keep up with their movements, the last dark blade clattered to the ground as Slade and Ruby exhaustedly dropped to their knees. Salem kneed Ruby in the face throwing her backward.

"Ruby!" Slade yelled concerned, he turned just in time to watch Salem's strike for his face meet Crescent Rose, Ruby used her Semblance to catch back up to the weapon as Salem twisted to strike again. Ruby pushed Slade back away from the strike allowing herself to use her aura to absorb the strike to her side. Falling over the side of the blade as Salem twisted the opposite direction to strike with both blade, Slade caught himself using his Semblance to grab Crescent Rose from Ruby's hand. Slade expertly deflected all of Salem's attacks countering with his own, launching Salem into the air above him. Slade appeared behind her slamming both weapons into her back, throwing Slade into the ground with tremendous force.

Appearing beside Ruby he held out her weapon toward her "You alright, Ruby?" he asked concerned.

"I'm alright" she choked out.

"I must admit" Salem's voice called as she struggled to stand up "You're both proving a far greater challenge than I would've thought... but it no longer matters how you injure me. I will just heal from it" she laughed.

"Nothing we do to her seems to stick" Slade agreed "How are we supposed to kill something that can't be killed?" he wondered aloud.

"I think I have an idea" Ruby answered closing her eyes to focus.

"Like what-" he asked when suddenly Ruby's eyes shot open encased in white flame with a massive white scythe forming in her right hand "I see" he smirked.

Salem growled at the sight of Ruby "Good plan, but I wont be allowing you to touch me with that-" Suddenly Salem found she could no longer move as several of her dark blades pierced her body pinning her on her knees. Ruby appeared beside Salem with the help of Slade's Semblance, she used her spectral scythe to pierce her heart without hesitation. Salem's body slumped to the ground as Ruby dropped to her knees exhausted from the exertion, he scythe vanishing and her eyes returning to normal.

"Did we do it?" she asked looking up at Salem's corpse hopefully.

Salem suddenly appeared above her own corpse as the body reformed back into Summer's "Congratulation's, Ruby. You've managed to kill my host body" she laughed

"Salem" Slade growled upon seeing her.

"Unfortunately for you, that means you get to be my new one" Salem laughed as Ruby tried to back away in fear.

"No!" Slade yelled using his Semblance to appear beside Ruby as Salem raced through the air toward Ruby.

"You cannot stop this!" she grinned as Slade grabbed Ruby in his arms turning his back to Salem as Ruby's eyes erupted another bright light encasing everyone around them in it.

The bright light surrounding them began to vanish revealing Slade on his back groaning in pain with Ruby having been thrown several feet away with his Semblance. Ozpin stood up weakly, looking around to ensure everyone was alright.

"Slade?" Ruby called looking around before finding him "Slade!" she yelled with concern, racing to his side.

"Is he okay?" Ozpin asked concerned for him.

"He's not breathing" Ruby answered.

"We need to get him to a hospital, fast!" Ozpin yelled as the others all struggled to their feet to help Slade. Several of the surrounding soldiers having watched the fight came to their assistance as well.

* * *

Slade awoke in a hospital bed overlooking the city of Vacuo, sitting up in the bed he groaned lightly as he looked around trying to remember what was going on previously. Suddenly all of his memories came flooding back to him, he ripped the medical equipment out of his body as he rushed to the door meeting several nurses in the hallway.

"Where's Ruby?" he asked one as she passed by him.

"Sir?" she asked confused.

"Ruby Rose, where is she?" he repeated.

"Slade?" he heard Yang's voice ask from behind him. Turning abruptly he smiled at the sight of her.

"Yang!" he called out.

"Slade! You're awake!" she yelled excitedly grabbing him into a painful hug.

"Not hundred percent yet, Yang" he groaned, she quickly put him down.

"Sorry" she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head "Not exactly gentle" she laughed.

"I've noticed" he chuckled "What happened? Where's Ruby?" he asked curiously.

"I forced Ruby to go get some food from the cafeteria, she hasn't left your side in days" Yang answered.

"Is everyone else alright?"

"Salem killed a lot of our people, but no one from our immediate group was killed. You and Mom were the only ones who needed to be hospitalized"

"Raven's alright though?"

"Yeah, she's doing great. We've all just been so worried about you" Yang answered.

"What about Salem?"

"Summer's body changed back to it's normal appearance after she died and Salem hasn't cropped up in anyone again, Ozpin did an extensive check of everyone involved. There was a brief scare with you, but turned out to be nothing" she answered "We should-" she stopped at the sound of a food tray hitting the floor, they both looked to see a shocked Ruby standing there with her mouth agape.

"Slade?" she asked unsure if she was dreaming or not "Is that really you?"

Slade approached Ruby, grabbing her into a passionate kiss. They broke apart shortly after "Does that answer your question?" he asked chuckling at her bright smile.

"You're awake!" she shouted happily.

"I better be, I'm up and walking around aren't I?" he asked laughing.

"Why don't I leave you two alone" Yang offered walking away from them.

"Thanks, sis" Ruby called back as she took Slade's hand in hers leading him down the hallway.

"How're everyone else?" Slade asked.

"Worried, you've been out for a while"

"How long?"

"Two weeks"

"I'm sorry, Ruby. I would've woken up sooner if I could"

"Don't worry about it, we knew you were gonna wake up. It was just a question of when" she smiled up at him. Ruby led him out to a small balcony overlooking the city.

"Last thing I remember was a bright light as Salem came after you... then nothing. What happened?" Slade asked curiously.

"You weren't breathing, we rushed you here to get your lungs started back up again... on top of that you had lost a lot of blood and your aura had been completely destroyed. Ozpin didn't know if you'd ever be able to fight again"

"I didn't know things were that bad" Slade sighed "I'm sorry I put you through that"

"It's alright, you've healed up quite nicely. Ozpin says you should be back to your old self in no time" she smiled up at him.

"That's good to hear. What else happened since I've been out?"

"Funeral services for the fallen have already been taken care of, there's a memorial being built on the battlefield for the four kingdoms to have access to see. The kingdoms of Remnant have agreed to an indefinite peace treaty, they figure the Grimm is enough enemy for all of us anyway"

"Grimm?"

"The Grimm have become much more timid since Salem's death, they've gone back to skulking around small towns and villages. Huntsmen aren't going to be out of a job for a long time. Speaking of which, school will be starting up again soon. I'm not gonna miss the tests again but it'll be nice to graduate to a full fledged Huntress!" she pumped her fist into the air excitedly.

"I think we've all been past that point for a long time now" Slade laughed.

"True, but it'll be official when we graduate. It's like Uncle Qrow said, graduation doesn't mean you know everything. We learn something knew everyday"

"Fair enough"

"Though I must admit, I like the idea of us just... being" Ruby leaned onto the balcony railing looking up at Slade from the side.

"Really?" he asked with a small smile.

"Seeing you risk your life, time and time again... sometimes it was more than I could bear. I knew it was for the greater good but..." Ruby paused "After this, everything is different. The world is different. Perhaps now, we can..." she let the sentence hang as she timidly fidgeted her hands together.

"Spend the rest of our days in married bliss?" Slade asked with a small smile.

"I-what do you-you mean-we could-are you serious?" she asked running the questions through her head.

"Maybe" he smiled at her awkwardness.

"Y-you need to ask me properly" she replied as he got down onto one knee.

"Ruby Rose, will you marry me?" he asked. Ruby stared in awe at him, shaking her shock she smiled back at him.

"Of course I will!" she practically yelled dropping onto her knees to kiss him. They broke apart not long after, both of them standing upright "This isn't exactly how I pictured today would go" she laughed.

"It'll be nice to take a break from saving the world, wont it?" Slade asked.

"Oh like you've ever taken a break in your life" Emerald called from the doorway startling them.

"Emerald" Slade greeted.

"It's uh... it's been a while. Good to have you back" she awkwardly offered "Look, I know I've put you all through hell by helping Salem. I was stupid and senseless, and it almost cost the world everything. I probably don't deserve the trust you've shown me since I came to you... but if you'll let me, I will do everything I can to earn my place as a proper Huntress" Emerald explained. Slade and Ruby shared a look between them "So... what do you say? Friends?" Emerald asked.

"You risked your life to save us and to fix your mistakes. You'll always have a place among us" Ruby answered.

"Damn right" Slade agreed.

Emerald let out a sigh of relief "I have no idea what I would've done had you said no" she chuckled.

"The world may change, but we're not going anywhere. No matter what happens from here on out, we're all going to face it... together"

* * *

 **Several Years Later**

"I thought I made our position clear" a woman with shoulder length red hair and brown eyes said sternly standing next to her fellow councilor whom had short gray hair and green eyes argued.

"You've made your position perfectly clear, you're a couple of unprincipled shake-down artists" Blake replied struggling to contain her anger beside her sister.

"Ms. Schnee, please remind Ms. Belladonna who she is talking to" the man smugly ordered.

"Of course, sir. Blake, you are talking to a couple of unprincipled shake-down artists" Weiss replied without hesitation.

"Thank you, Weiss" Blake replied.

"We're done here" the female councilor said turning for the door.

"You can tell the Professor: When his school is shut down he can blame himself, for everything" the male councilor said smugly as he turned to follow his fellow councilor.

"No need, Councilor Waldron. I think I got the message" Slade replied from behind him. There was a small silence that held them in place as Blake and Weiss both smirked from behind them.

"W-Professor Stroud-"

"Don't worry. It's just politics. You're pushing an advantage, that's how the game works" Slade interjected.

"Yes, sir. It is" agreed the female councilor.

"Problem is, Councilor Ferris, I don't play the game and I'm not about to start. You both made a deal and I expect you to honor it"

"Respectfully, sir. Circumstances have changed-" Waldron attempted.

"Not for me. I refuse to make a deal that I don't believe in"

"That's your choice-" Farris began before being interrupted.

"Yes, it is. It was also my choice to leave a letter for my successor should you oust me, telling her the only budget deal to sign for this school was the one that we previously negotiated. I fully expect her to comply with my wishes because, well, I spoke to her and she gave me her word like I gave you mine"

"Professor-" Waldron tried once more.

"So, when the school shuts down, you can be the ones to explain to the students and their parents why the only people whose word doesn't seem to matter is yours. Time for playing games is over, Councilors. Do you jobs, or get out of my school" Slade finished turning to leave the room.

"Love it when he does that" Blake whispered to Weiss.

"Where were we?" Weiss asked as Waldron and Ferris turned to them.

Slade reentered his office using his Semblance walking past his desk over to the window overlooking the school courtyard where his students were practicing with their respective teams.

"How'd the meeting go?" Ruby asked from behind him.

"I'd say we came to a mutually beneficial agreement" Slade replied without turning around.

"So you forced them to do what they originally agreed to do before the other councilors decided to have a emergency meeting to decide your competence as headmaster of Beacon" Ruby concluded.

"Precisely. I get the budget deal we negotiated and they don't get thrown off the council for breaking our agreement. Mutually beneficial"

"Yang sent me a video, Blake recorded of you putting them in their place" she giggled "You're hot when you do the whole intimidation act"

"I do my best" he chuckled "How is Yang settling in to Glynda's old position?" Slade asked.

"She loves it, she gets to watch fights all the time and she chooses to take a more hands on approach with the students. She's only been here for three weeks and they already love her"

"Well she had to settle down eventually, she's been off adventuring around the world for the past five years"

"Yeah, Weiss and Blake are glad to have her too. I must say putting Blake in charge of history classes was an inspired choice"

"She's the only person among our team that can teach our students how to be tolerant of Faunus students, they all seem to love having her as a teacher. Makes it hard for them to hate Faunus just because they're Faunus right?" Slade offered.

"Yup, Weiss agrees with your decision. She's enjoying her position of replacing Professor Port"

"She hated that class at one time" Slade laughed.

"Yeah, probably because she already knew everything we learned in that class. Have you heard from JNPR recently?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Their mission in Atlas with Raven's team has wrapped up and their coming back soon" Slade replied.

"Raven's done a really good job keeping Roman and Emerald in line on the team, Neo's always been easy to work with" Ruby laughed.

"Agreed"

"We should get going soon, Qrow's gonna be annoyed if we're late to meet him and Ozpin for lunch again" Ruby suggested.

"You go on ahead, I'll meet you there in a few minutes"

"Alright" Ruby replied with a smile "See you soon" she called as the elevator closed.

Slade remained silently watching out the window, a silhouette approached him from behind staring out the window with him chuckling lightly.

"You know you can't hide me forever, Slade. They're gonna find out eventually" Salem told him.

"So long as you remain in my body I cannot tell them anything, you force my body to shut down whenever I try" Slade replied.

"I know, it's fun" she laughed "I have control over most of your body, but your mind remains your own. You should consider yourself lucky. If Ruby hadn't used her damned eyes when I entered your body I would already have full control by now"

"I will find a way to stop you, Salem" Slade swore.

"You may try, just as Summer did. But you'll ultimately fail" she laughed "Enjoy your time in control while it lasts, it won't take me too much longer to take control forever and get my relics back"

* * *

 **Promise next chapter will be the last one!**


	32. Eternity

**Here it is the final chapter! Thank you all for reading and putting up with me for this long, I appreciate all the support you've shown me over these past few months. Anyway, I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Speech

 _Thoughts_

* * *

 **Final Chapter: Eternity**

Slade approached the café table with Ozpin and Qrow waiting patiently for him.

"You're late" Qrow noted with a small smirk not looking up to see him.

"He's actually early, Qrow" Ozpin corrected with a small chuckle "Perhaps you simply expected him to be late" he offered. Qrow waved his hand dismissively.

"We showed up first, therefore he is late" he replied.

"Technically Ruby is the only one not here yet" Slade chuckled sitting down across from them both.

"Only because you cheated!" Ruby called from behind him with her hands on her hips, displaying her displeasure.

"You said you wanted us to be on time for once" he replied sheepishly. Ruby gave him a stern look as he silently begged her not to be angry with him.

"Fine" she sighed lightly "You're just lucky I'm in such a good mood today" she kissed Slade on his cheek as she sat down beside him.

"Love you, Ruby" he replied meekly.

"Sure" she replied, feigning offense.

"How's the school been since you took over?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"It's been a rough transition for much of the current staff and the students present for the graduating class this year. Things have been pretty good otherwise" Slade answered truthfully.

"The old team has been settling into their new positions in the school pretty well" Ruby offered as well.

"Glad to hear it, I know Ms. Belladonna was reluctant to take Oobleck's position at Beacon" Ozpin smiled contently.

"Do you all mind if we get down to business? This isn't a social gathering" Qrow pointed out impatiently.

"I suppose you're right" Slade sighed "Get straight to the point then"

"As you're aware, the Vale council have been very upset with Ozpin's choice for you to replace him as headmaster" Qrow replied.

"We are" Ruby grimaced.

"We're happy to inform you of the councilor's verdict. Without councilors Ferris and Waldron feeding the fire, the rest of the council deemed their accusations to be null and void" Ozpin explained with a small smile "They failed to prove your unfit to be placed in charge of the kingdom's Huntsmen and Huntresses operations"

"They've already made their decision?" Slade asked confused "I just spoke with Ferris and Waldron"

"Blake's recording of your dealing with the councilors swayed their ultimate choice" Qrow chuckled "You impressed them with your negotiating ability"

"You certainly put them in their place" Ruby giggled.

"As much as I appreciate the update, you wouldn't have called for a meeting between us just to tell me that" Slade pointed out.

"Correct, we wouldn't" Qrow agreed "We've been monitoring the situation with the Grimm since Salem's death, as expected they returned to their natural activity before Salem's transformation after the initial months of mass confusion" he explained.

"Something's changed?" Slade asked.

"Recently, the Grimm have been growing bolder. Raven's team reported hundreds of Grimm moving toward the outskirts of the city of Vale, they're waiting for something"

"That doesn't make any sense, if Salem's dead they're not smart enough to strategize or formulate plans of any kind beyond their base instinct" Ruby pointed out.

"Indeed, we were hoping you might know something more than that. Have any of your scouts reported anything we could use? Perhaps the other headmasters have some insight to share into the situation-"

"Neptune reported a similar occurrence in Vacuo, the Grimm appear to be coming together for something, we're unsure as to the cause " Slade replied "I will look into this further until we determine the cause of this shift in behavior"

"Excellent, once we've uncovered the cause, perhaps we can stop them from doing this again" Ozpin sighed somewhat relieved. Slade stopped himself from sighing aloud at the shadow approaching from behind.

"You know precisely why the Grimm have been converging on the cities of the four kingdoms" Salem chuckled from behind Slade, leaning over his shoulder menacingly "Why don't you just tell them that I'm still here, Slade? I promise I won't stop you from speaking your mind"

 _You and I both know you're full of it, you'd never allow me to reveal your presence before you have proper control_

"Hmmm... perhaps you're right. Allowing you to interrupt my plans now would be unfortunate" she agreed "I suppose I'll just keep your lips sealed for now, I will allow you to inform them of their impending doom and ultimate failure when the time is right" Salem laughed.

"Slade? Are you alright?" Ruby asked concerned noticing his drastic mood change.

"I'm fine, just thinking about what the Grimm could be doing so close to town" Slade lied with a comforting smile, in an attempt to reassure her.

"Oh... alright, glad you're okay"

"Lying to your own wife?" Salem asked acting appalled "You promised you wouldn't keep anything from her, how is she going to feel when she learns the truth?" she asked grinning wickedly.

 _Go away, Salem. I'm in no mood for your games_

"I'll stop bothering you when you're dead" she growled "If you didn't want to suffer my presence, you would've allowed me to end you all years ago"

"I have some business to take care of back in the office, thank you both for coming out to meet us here" Slade nodded toward them respectfully "See you later, Love" he kissed Ruby quickly before using his Semblance to escape their questioning glances as quick as possible, the others were left to silently contemplate the situation.

"Does Slade do that often?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"He's been doing it more than usual recently, Slade's been distant since he became headmaster. I was hoping he'd come out of it once he's settled into his new position" Ruby answered.

"Hmmm" Ozpin rubbed his chin thoughtfully "I wonder..."

"Something wrong, Oz?" Qrow asked.

"No, I'm sure it's nothing. Just being paranoid in my old age" he replied with a reassuring smile "Please inform me if Slade's behavior continues to worsen. I would have a word with him to learn the cause of his behavioral shift.

* * *

"Welcome to the forest of Forever Fall" Ruby announced gesturing around them "As you all know, Professor Schnee has requested you all learn to fight against the creatures of Grimm in the field. I will be overseeing you all during the course of this particular training exercise due to my Semblance being best suited to intervene" she explained as the overlooked a few packs of Beowolves below the cliff they stood upon "Does anyone have any questions before we begin?" she asked looking inquisitively at the students in front of her.

"Why're we brining a chaperone to watch us fight Grimm? They're just stupid beasts that act on instinct, we've all fought them before during the entrance exam" asked one of the students arrogantly. Ruby appeared behind him with her arms crossed over her chest surprising the students.

"Because you're first year students, you've only received basic training at your previous schools before coming here"

"How'd you do that?" asked the previously confident student in awe.

"Years of practice" she replied with a smirk "Anyone worthy of being called a Huntsmen or Huntress could easily match that speed" she explained "Until you can at least match what I just displayed, you're never going to be considered anything but another wannabe" Ruby clapped her hands together excitedly "Now who's ready to fight some Grimm?" she asked excitedly, gaining a similar reaction from many of the students. A single loud roar tore through the silent forest frightening many of the students present and even surprising Ruby.

"What was that?" one of the students asked fearfully "I've never heard a Grimm like that before"

"Not many people do" Ruby replied "I've only heard a roar like that once before"

"What was it?" asked another student curiously just before the roar was heard once more, closer than before.

"It's coming" Ruby sighed "Stay behind me students" she warned preparing Crescent Rose in her hands.

"Shouldn't we help you fight? How're we going to become Huntsmen if we run away from all the fights?" asked a student encouragingly.

"Normally I would commend you for such bravery and agree completely, but trust me when I say you'll be torn apart if you try and fight something like this at your level-" Ruby explained as a Nuckelavee emerged from the trees followed by several large Beowolves and Beringels.

Ruby leapt forward to strike the Nuckelavee only to find the Beringels to be charging the students with the Beowolves moving to flank them "Crap!" Ruby groaned flipping through the air and firing Crescent Rose, launching herself back toward her students striking down the Beringels in one swift movement then using her Semblance to do the same with the Beowolves before they had time to react to her presence. Suddenly the packs of Beowolves ascended the cliffside toward the students forcing them to back away toward the Nuckelavee.

 _We're trapped! If I fight the Beowolves to protect the students, the Nuckelavee will kill them and if I attack the Nuckelavee, the Beowolves will overwhelm the students... what can I do here?_ Ruby contemplated in her head as the Beowolves finished climbing the cliff, the Nuckelavee screeched as it charged forward leaving Ruby with no option but to fight it and hope the students could handle the rest of them.

Ruby leapt forward cutting through it's arm before twisting around and removing the opposite arm, attempting to remove it's Imp head resulted in Ruby being slammed into by the horse head, throwing her onto her back.

"Professor Rose!" yelled one of the students with concern racing to her side. Ruby pulled her scroll from her pocket placing an emergency call to her team.

"Hello?" Yang's voice replied upon accepting the call.

"Is something wrong, Ruby? You never call the four of us at once?" Weiss asked concerned.

"We're being attack by Grimm, there's too many of them for me to protect all the students at once" Ruby reported hastily getting to her feet.

"Where are you?" Blake asked.

"Forever Fall Forest, southern quadrant on the cliffside overlooking the riverbed-" Ruby explained being interrupted by Slade zipping past her cutting through the Beowolves attacking the students with ease, leaving only the remainder on the opposite end of the cliff with the Nuckelavee pacing back and forth in confusion "Slade?" she asked surprised.

"All I needed was a location" he shrugged.

"Headmaster Stroud!" the students all cheered "We're saved! Nothing can beat him, he was able to beat Salem!" another yelled.

"He died first" Salem's voice growled.

 _Not yet he doesn't_ Slade replied rushing the Nuckelavee.

"We'll be there as soon as we can!" Yang yelled.

"Stay safe you two" Blake warned.

"And bring back my students in one piece!" Weiss ordered sternly.

"We'll do our best" Ruby replied, the Beowolves rushed toward her as Slade distracted the large Grimm.

Slicing his blade through the midsection of the Imp part of the Nuckelavee caused the lower horse body to screech in pain. It charged toward Ruby angrily as she cut through the Beowolves, several more ran past Ruby toward the students dragging Ruby's attention away from the charging Grimm leaving herself exposed, Crescent Rose was thrown from her hand just before the Grimm struck. Time seemed to stop as Slade watched in terror of losing Ruby but also concerned for the students wellbeing.

Salem stood between the Grimm and Ruby, sizing them up as she paced around disinterested "What is this?" Slade asked confused.

"An opportunity" Salem replied appearing beside him "Death is all but certain for Ruby if you save the students but the students will be killed if you do not intervene, you're not fast enough to save them both"

"No..."

"I could save her and the students you know... I only require the briefest moments of control"

"Never-"

"Accept my help, or watch them die. Choose wisely, and quickly, time has not stopped" Salem offered.

"No... I'll never give in to you. You might save them now but you'll kill everyone once you've taken control" Slade replied determinedly.

"Fool. You would rather watch those you love die than accept help from me? Very well, I will just have to do things myself" Salem replied.

Slade's aura emanated with darkness, extending his arms out toward the Grimm a powerful wave of dark energy tore through the air uprooting trees and disintegrating the Grimm where they stood, knocking Ruby and the students onto their backs from the force of the wave but not harming them.

"Ruby!" Slade called rushing to her side.

"I'm alright, w-what happened to the Grimm?" she asked confused.

"We were coming to help but... looks like you didn't need it" Yang said relieved as Weiss and Blake accompanied her to the scene "I'm so glad you're okay!" Yang yelled pulling Slade and Ruby into a hug "We were so worried about you"

"We probably shouldn't have been, they defeated Salem together after all" Blake pointed out, causing Slade's relaxed expression to turn sour.

"At least you didn't get any of my students killed, do you have any idea-" Weiss stopped when she noticed Slade had vanished using his Semblance once more.

"Slade..." Ruby sighed shaking her head "What's happening to you?" she asked aloud.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked confused "Slade's probably just got some work he needs to finish, we both know he wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye unless he had a good reason" she offered trying to reassure her.

"I know, but he's been acting strange lately. I'm just concerned is all"

"I'm sure he's fine, Slade's never been an open person to begin with" Weiss waved dismissively "I am sure he'll be fine tomorrow"

"I'm not convinced" Blake sighed.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked confused.

"Slade just disintegrated the Grimm like they were nothing, no one can do that with their aura alone. I think we should talk to Ozpin and see if he knows anything about that before we confront Slade about anything out of the ordinary"

"That could be nothing-" Yang replied.

"Or it could be something big, we shouldn't just dismiss it out of hand because we don't want to believe something is true" Ruby offered.

"Agreed" Blake sighed "I really hope we're worried about nothing though"

* * *

"You asked to see me" Ozpin said watching as RWBY all exchanged worried glances between each other "Would one of you like to tell me what this is about?" he asked growing concerned at their apprehensiveness.

"Sorry, Professor. It's just not something we know about for sure" Yang replied.

"It's possible it's nothing at all but it's also possible it could be something important" Weiss supplied.

"Would one of you like to tell me what this "something" is?" he asked growing impatient.

"Have you ever met anyone strong enough to obliterate Grimm using only their aura?" Blake asked.

"I cannot say that I have, I've seen people do some crazy things with their aura and Semblances before but nothing like that. Why?" he asked curiously.

"Slade did it yesterday" Ruby answered timidly.

"What?" Ozpin asked in shock "Slade destroyed a Grimm using only his aura?" he asked.

"Not just one Grimm, Professor, several at once. Slade created a wave of energy so powerful he uprooted the trees around him but managed not to harm Ruby or the students with her caught in the blast" Blake explained "It was incredible but terrifying all the same"

"I can only imagine..." Ozpin began thinking "Have any of you asked Slade about this personally?" he asked curiously.

"No, sir. Slade hasn't left his office since then. He used his Semblance to leave once he knew everyone was alright without saying a word, no one has heard anything from him since then"

"Before we do anything else, I think we should bring Qrow in on this and question Slade personally. Maybe he'll provide clear answers instead of wild speculation"

"What if he doesn't answer? What if he gives us false information?" Ruby asked.

"Then we'll cross that bridge once we get there. Emerald has some experience in information gathering does she not?" Ozpin offered.

"There you all are!" Nora's voice called from the hallway.

"We've been looking all over for you guys" Jaune explained.

"She's as impatient as usual" Ren chuckled.

"You were the one that married her" Pyrrha offered with a smile.

"True"

"Damn right he did!" Nora yelled causing the others to laugh lightly.

"Something going on in here? Looks like a war room" Jaune asked.

"We're worried about Slade" Yang replied.

"Worried?" Pyrrha asked confused "We just spoke with him yesterday morning, he sounded like everything was fine then. Did something change?"

"Hopefully he'll tell us" Ozpin answered.

"Fill us in then, we were just about to catch up with Raven and her team" Jaune replied.

"Excellent, we may need them. Emerald in particular" Blake sighed with a small shake of her head "I really hope we don't though"

"Don't we all" Weiss agreed.

* * *

Slade sat silently in his office waiting patiently for his friends to arrive out of the elevator.

"What exactly are you planning?" Salem asked "You've been unusually quiet since we fought the Grimm yesterday"

Slade ignored her as the elevator door opened revealing RWBY, JNPR and Ozpin with Qrow exiting the elevator along with Raven's team flanking them.

"Really glad we expanded that elevator" Roman chuckled flipping his cane in his right hand.

"It's good to see you all together again, it's been far too long since we've been in the same room together all at once" Slade smiled warmly at them.

"It's nice to see you as well, Slade" Raven smirked "Still keeping busy I see-"

"As much as I would like to keep this pleasant, I didn't call you here to talk" Slade interrupted.

"Slade... you didn't call us here at all" Yang pointed out confused.

"Oh but I did, Yang. When I disappeared from the forest yesterday without a word, I knew you would all be worried something was wrong, especially after my particular display of power the same day" Slade explained.

"You wanted us all to come up here?" Nora asked.

"Precisely... you see I have been planning this for some time now. My only problem was pulling it off without allowing her to see" Slade explained.

"Her?" Ozpin asked narrowing his eyes.

"Yes, if I even thought about calling you all here for this you'd all be dead right now. The only reason you're not, is because she's interested in what I'm about to do" Slade continued.

"Slade, what's going on?" Ruby asked concerned.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to tell you about this, Ruby. I've wanted to talk to you about this since the day I found out, but it was too late by that point. I no longer had control"

"I'm sorry, Slade... I never wanted this to happen to you" Ozpin sighed struggling to hold back his tears.

"You needn't apologize, Ozpin. I know you've done your best to shield me from this, unfortunately it just didn't work out that way... You know what to do"

"I do"

"The Grimm that have been gathering outside the major cities of the kingdoms are going to attack within the hour, that is why I have sent a tier three alert out so they'll be prepared for the attack" Slade explained "What I'm about to do next will be the last action I will consciously make, I'm trusting you all to handle what comes next... I know you can do it" he smiled at them.

"Slade-" Ruby attempted before he pulled his pistol out from it's holster and aimed it at his head "No!" she yelled in terror.

"Don't worry, Ruby. Slade's not going to pull the trigger" Ozpin assured her.

"How do you know?" Ruby asked confused.

"Because I won't let him!" Salem's voice yelled as his skin turned a deathly pale with black markings making their way across his features as well as his eyes shifting to her own "I must admit, Slade surprised me in his ability to hide his plans from me. This must've taken him months to plot out" she laughed "But it doesn't matter now, I'm free!" she yelled throwing her hands into the air excitedly as she stood from the desk.

"This isn't possible! You died!" Yang yelled angrily.

"Unfortunately for you, I survived inside of Slade. It took me some time to regain enough power to control him enough to keep my presence a secret, of course he didn't know about me until I was strong enough to keep him silent anyway. Although he discovered me much earlier than I expected him to, Slade never ceases to surprise me"

"Let him go!" Weiss warned as all of his friends prepared their weapons.

"Please, you're nothing to me" Salem replied extending her hands toward them, unleashing a powerful blast of black lightning from her fingertips throwing several of them back against the wall. Qrow, Ozpin, Jaune, Yang and Ruby remained firmly planted in their places.

"I won't be letting you take another friend from us!" Jaune yelled charging forward. Salem increased the power she put into the lightning striking Jaune, throwing him onto his back as Ruby and Yang soared over him striking Salem in the chest much to her surprise. Qrow fired his weapon into her shoulder as Ozpin charged up the middle stopping her from attacking Yang and Ruby. Weiss used her glyphs to increase Ozpin's speed as he approached her. Salem unleashed the most powerful torrent of lightning yet at Ozpin only to strike a copy of Blake as she used her Semblance to launch Ozpin toward Salem. Ozpin's right hand was enveloped with a green clock symbol as he struck her in the abdomen.

"NO!" Salem yelled furiously.

"Too late!" Ozpin replied doing the same on her forehead with his left hand causing Salem to fall backward onto the floor, she began levitating in the center of what looked to be a massive clock symbol on the ground slowly ticking away as he sat down in the center with her "Team RWBY, I need the four of you to sit around me, now" Ozpin ordered.

RWBY listened without questioning his orders "What's the plan?" Yang asked.

"Summer once said it was possible to defeat Salem within her current vessel's consciousness. I'm going to be sending the four of your inside to help Slade fight off Salem long enough to destroy her. Slade's not going to be able to do it himself, she draws her own strength off of his" he explained.

"So we're all going to use our own strength to stop Salem from taking complete control" Blake concluded.

"Hopefully we'll be fast enough that it won't kill Slade when she dies" Weiss sighed.

"We will be" Ruby replied confidently.

"We have to be" Yang agreed.

"What about the rest of us?" Qrow asked.

"Start coordinating a defense of the city, Slade said the Grimm would be attacking within the hour. Make contact with the other kingdoms and warn them of what's coming" Ozpin ordered.

"Can do!" Nora saluted before smashing through the window nearby.

"I suppose we just follow her" Raven shrugged leaping out after her.

"Let's do it" Qrow agreed.

"Just make sure you get Slade out of there too, you hear?" Roman ordered.

* * *

Slade awoke in a dark twisted wasteland similar to the one Salem had previously occupied, he stood up quickly looking around for any indication as to how he got there "What's going on?" he asked aloud not expecting an answer.

"I once offered you mercy, Slade. But you refused to bow to me. Now you have no choice" Salem's voice echoed around him.

"I refuse to be your puppet, I will fight against you for as long as it takes-augh!" Slade was thrown to his knees painfully, he attempted to stand up only to be forced back onto his knees.

"Bow" Salem ordered.

"Never" Slade struggled to his feet, Salem laughed at his resistance.

"You're an exemplary pawn, one I forged into a vessel of supreme power; worthy of preserving me" Salem explained appearing to him "Now I take your body as my own, and rule once more as the immortal goddess of darkness"

"I won't allow this, Salem"

"I've already done it, Slade" she grinned throwing him harshly against a wall as she vanished.

"Wake up" a voice called out to him, stirring him awake once more, standing up he looked at himself in confusion "Who am I?"

"You're the Huntsmen Commander, once known as the Hero of Vale, and Conqueror of Salem" the voice told him. Slade looked at his hands finding them to be Salem's instead of his own "You wear Salem's skin just as she wears yours, but you're still the man you've always been" the comforting voice assured him.

"It's finally happened. I've gone insane"

"Not yet, but that will change if you do not act quickly" the voice warned.

"How do I stop Salem?"

"Salem is hidden somewhere throughout this wasteland, you must find her and stop her from assuming full control. There are others here who will help you when the time comes"

"Others?" Slade asked confused, he received no answer "Guess I will just have to figure this out on my own" he sighed.

"This is your consciousness, Slade. You have control over what happens here and what doesn't, find yourself and revoke Salem's control" the voice echoed as the land around him drastically changed. Slade looked forward in confusion to find a large staircase with his own body sitting on a blackened throne, his eyes emanating a dark power "Quickly!" the voice urged.

Slade rushed up to his body placing his hands onto his own shoulders using his aura to return to his body. Once he had succeeded, he dropped onto his knees in exhaustion as his body returned to it's original form and the copy in front of him changed into Salem's appearance, her eyes shot open in anger.

"You persist, impressive" she growled standing from her place on the thrown.

"You may take my body, Salem. You'll never have my mind" he replied struggling to stand up.

"A minor inconvenience" she shrugged lightly "Nothing you do will change anything" Salem lifted Slade into the air, throwing him down the stairs "You need to be taught a lesson in submission-" she stopped abruptly, raising her hand to deflect a bullet as it reached her.

Ruby slid to Slade's side helping him off the ground "Ruby?" Slade asked confused.

"I won't let you face her alone. I promised to fight by your side until death do us apart" she smiled at him.

"How touching" Salem groaned "Perhaps I will show you both the punishment of defiance"

"Not today!" Yang's voice called as she soared over Slade and Ruby striking Salem hard, throwing her up the stairs painfully "I've got plenty more where that came from" she warned cracking her knuckles.

"We're fighting too" Blake added as she arrived with Weiss shortly behind her.

"We won't let you face her without us. We're a team aren't we?" Weiss asked.

"Team RWBY, back together for one last fight" Slade smiled amused at his teammates "There's no other way I'd want to fight this battle" he unsheathed Obsidian prepared to fight Salem.

"So your team is all here, good. Now you'll all be consumed by eternity together!" Salem yelled with her power emanating from her, grinning wickedly.

Yang charged up the stairs with Weiss's glyphs increasing her speed, she slammed her fist into Salem faster than she could react. Ruby appeared behind her slicing Crescent Rose across her chest, causing her to call out in pain as she blocked the second strike from both of them easily. Slade appeared in front of her with Blake circling around the back of her, using Obsidian to impale her on it's blade as Blake struck her from behind with her own weapon. Weiss soared up the stairs smashing her blade into Salem's shoulder, throwing her back into the thrown behind her.

"What's going on?" Salem asked aloud "What's happened to all my power?"

"You're not in control yet, Salem. My friends don't feed your power when they fight back like I do, now you're getting a taste of what everyone else feels everyday... mortality" Slade explained.

"Enough!" Salem stood from her throne as they attempted to strike once more. Extending her hand out to Slade she threw him down the stairs once more, catching himself with his blade a few steps down. Salem turned to Weiss and Blake holding her right hand out to them stopped them in their tracks, doing the same with her left hand to Ruby and Yang.

"What's going on? I can't move" Yang asked in confusion as she struggled against Salem's power.

"I told you fighting against me is useless, even when you appear to win you never do" Salem laughed "Gather an army of Huntsmen, an arsenal of super weapons and androids... nothing will stop me" Salem insisted as she turned her attention back to Slade, attempting to take control from him once more.

"You're wrong, Salem. Kneel before the Hero of Vale!" Slade yelled standing up, Salem's power was suddenly wrenched from her grasp releasing his team.

"No" Salem struggled against his power "That only works against Cinder" she growled.

"I control what happens here, Salem" Slade replied crossing his arms confidently.

"Clever" she relented.

"Give up! You've lost!" Weiss yelled.

"It's over, Salem. Let go" Ruby pleaded "You can stop this before anyone else gets hurt"

"We'll just kick your ass again if you don't" Yang warned.

"For the good of the world, we will destroy you" Blake swore as they all slowly closed in on her.

"You cannot win, Salem" Slade pointed out "You're outmatched"

"Never" Salem growled turning around she attempted to run away from them only to come face to face with another standing at her throne. Shock quickly tunred to rage "Summer"

"You've hurt my family for the last time" Summer declared as a white scythe formed in her hand, striking Salem. She was thrown back to the group surrounding her.

"I am the Immortal Goddess of the Grimm!" she yelled standing up "You cannot defeat me!"

"Sooner or later death always catches up with you" Slade replied.

"It's over" Summer added.

"Give your husband the freedom he deserves, give it to the world" Ruby pleaded.

"A Goddess has no family" Salem replied "Before I graced you with my presence, you were all nothing but rodents. Drowning in the chaos of the void your kind created... and you, a lone Huntsmen, hounding me without aim or purpose" Salem turned on Slade extending her hand toward him.

Summer did the same with her own hands to Salem forcing her to her knees "I won't let you harm my family anymore"

"I forged you into a being worthy of my essence. Without me, you are nothing" Salem ranted on struggling to stand up.

"Wrong again, Salem. It's you who needed me. Now you're alone, and nothing can save you from the fate you've earned yourself" Slade crossed his arms defiantly.

"Remember me, when your pathetic world burns to ash!" Salem screamed in one last desperate attempt to take control, Slade impaled her on his blade once more. Salem dropped onto all fours.

"Farewell, Salem" Summer sighed in relief.

"Go, join your daughters" Ruby offered with hope.

"How does it feel to be erased?" Yang asked cracking her knuckles.

"Augh!" Salem screamed leaping at Slade only for Ruby to cut him down with Crescent Rose, obliterating Salem's body. A single massive explosion threw them all through the air.

"Farewell, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake, and Slade" Summers voice called as everything went dark.

* * *

Slade's body fell onto the ground as the clock symbol on the ground vanished. Ozpin helped him up as the others all awoke as well "What happened? Is Salem-" he asked frantically.

"She's dead, Ozpin." Slade replied with the first real smile he's had in months.

"Thank goodness" he sighed in relief.

"We did it?" Weiss asked helping Blake to her feet.

"It's over. It's finally over" Yang smiled.

"You defeated Salem once and for all" Blake said looking to an exhausted Slade.

"No, we defeated him. Together" Ruby pointed out.

"Salem's risen from the grave more times than I can count. Are we truly sure she won't return again?" Ozpin asked.

"Summer was there in my consciousness, her voice guided me when I didn't know what else to do... She used her own essence to ensure Salem's had no where to go. We will not see Salem again" Slade explained.

"Summer was there? How?" Ozpin asked.

"It seems she left part of her behind when she took control of me in Atlas, she knew I would've never allowed Salem to occupy Ruby's body over my own"

"She was always one step ahead of us, she really was brilliant" Ozpin chuckled shaking his head.

"What do we do now? How're we going to explain this to the world?" Weiss asked concerned.

"We'll tell them the truth" Slade answered "Whatever happens will happen. But we know the world will never have to deal with Salem again"

"Then we can look to the future" Blake said looking out of the broken window nearby.

"Speaking of the future, I have a bit of an announcement to make" Ruby said looking up at Slade with a bright smile on her face.

"What is it?" Slade asked taking her in his arms.

"I found out about a week ago... I'm pregnant" she answered him. Slade's expression quickly changed from shock to immense happiness within the span of a few seconds, Slade picked her up in his arms spinning around carefully.

"I'm going to be a father!" he laughed with joy as a stray tear fell down his face "I know you're going to be the best mother our child could ever have" he pulled her into a passionate kiss.

"Aw! I'm gonna be an Aunt!" Yang yelled excitedly.

"We all are!" Weiss squealed in delight.

"Things look like they'll be getting better from here on out" Blake smiled.

"Indeed" Ozpin agreed "We should inform the others of this wonderful development"

"I can picture Nora's reaction now" Yang laughed.

"Imagine what Roman is going to say when he finds out about Neo" Blake chuckled.

"Neo is pregnant!" Weiss yelled in shock.

"No, but by the way they've been acting lately, she will be soon" Yang laughed.

"I love you, Ruby" Slade said looking down at his beautiful wife.

"I love you too, Slade" she replied to her wonderful Husband "I never want this feeling to end"

"So long as we're together, it never will" he promised.

* * *

 **There you have it, the ending for Falling For A Rose. Thanks again for all the support you guys have shown me. I plan on writing another story in the future using this character in the RWBY universe but I don't know how soon I will be able to get to it. Probably going to take about a month to figure out what I'm doing with the story before publishing anything. Thank you guys so much for everything!**


End file.
